JAMES  SAMUEL  KNOX 


THE 

Science  A^v^A^Tl 

of 

Selling 

By 
JAMES  SAMUEL  KNOX,  A.  M.,  L.  L.  D. 


Author  of 

Science  of  Applied  Salesmanship,  The  Science  and 
Art  of  Selling.  Successful  Management.  Salesman- 
ship and  Business  Efnciency.       Personal  Efficiency. 


KNOX  BUSINESS  BOOK  COMPANY 

CLEVELAND 
OHIO 
1922 


COPYRIGHT  1921 
The  Knox  Business  Book  Company 

Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  England.  Protected  by 
International  Copyright  in  Great  Britain  and  all  her  Colonies  and 
under  the  provisions  of  the  Berne  Convention,  in  Belgium,  France, 
Italy,  Spain,  Switzerland,  Tunis,  Hayti,  Luxemburg,  Monaco, 
Montenegro  and  Norway. 

All  rights  reserved. 

(Printed  in  the  United  States.) 

AGRIC,  DEPT.  ^i2#^*^  .  &^<:.r^^^^;  t 


The  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


CONTENTS 

Part  I. — Fundamental  Factors  in  Business 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.     Economics  of  Distribution 1 

II.     Trade  Channels 13 

III.  Retail  Store  Management 23 

IV.  Better  Bookkeeping  Procedure ,....  28 

V.     A  Short  Cut  in  Figuring  Profit 30 

VI.     The  Psychology  of  Business. _ 37 

VII.     Human  Instincts... 49 

VIII.     The  Emotions _. 59 

IX.     The  Five  Senses._ 63 

Part  II. — The  Basic  Principles  of  Salesmanship 

X.     Why  Salesmanship  Has  Developed  So  Slowly....  77 

XI.     Salesmanship  Analysis 85 

XII.     Mental  Law  of  Sale 99 

XIII.  The  Approach 109 

XIV.  Arousing  Interest 119 

XV.     Producing  Conviction. 125 

XVI.      Creating  Desire 145 

XVII.     Resolve  to  Buy 157 

XVIII.     Laws  of  Suggestion 173 

Part  III. — Retail  Salesmanship 

XIX.     The  Retail  Salesman 191 

XX.     Suggestions  to  Salespeople 203 

XXI.     Model  Selling  Talks 222 

XXII.     Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 243 

XXIII.  Retail  Selling  Methods..... 260 

XXIV.  Retail  Store  Training 271 

XXV.     Management  Problems.- 287 

Part  IV. — Efficient  and  Inefficient  Selling 
Methods 

XXVI.      Analyses  of  Sales 293 

Illustration  from  experience — Chamber  of  Commerce 
investigation — Everybody   has   something  to   sell — ■ 

Illustration    of    poor    salesmanship — Training  the 
clerk — When    new    products   come   in — Advertising 

council — A   satisfied   customer — Reading  your  cus- 


CONTENTS— Conhnwerf 


CHAPTM  PAGE 

tomer — Displaying  merchandise — Importance  of  col- 
or— Motives  that  move  buyers — Study  human  na- 
ture— Study  your  goods. 

Part  V. — Specialty  Salesmanship 

XXVII.     Origin  of  Salesmanship  Instruction 320 

Subscription  Book  Salesmanship— Value  of  Selling 
talks — Business  logic — Value  of  Contrast — Value  of 
School  System — Checking  yourself. 

XXVIII.     Model  Sales  Demonstrations 344 

Electric  cleaner — Paint — Brush  set — -Insurance. 


PLATES  AND  GRAPHIC  CHARTS 

CHART  PAGE 

I.  The  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

II.  Fundamental  Factors  in  Business 

III.  Principal  Factors  of  Production  and  Distribution       2 

IV.  Methods  of  Marketing 12 

V.  Organization  of  Manufacturers  Who  Distribute 

Direct  to  Consumers 18 

VI.     Modern  Sales  Organization 18 

VII.     Business  Fundamentals  of  Retail  Store  Manage- 
ment  - 22 

VIII.     Psychology  of  Business 36 

IX.     Fundamental  Laws  of  Human  Nature 40 

X.     Human  Instincts 48 

XI.     Emotions 58 

XII.     The  Five  Senses 62 

XIII.  Why  Salesmanship  Has  Developed  So  Slowly....  76 

XIV.  Mental  Law  of  Sale 98 

XV.     Introduction 108 

XVI.     Arousing  Interest 118 

XVII.     Producing  Conviction 124 

XVIII.     Creating  Desire 144 

XIX.     Resolve  to  Buy.. 156 

XX.     Laws  of  Suggestion 172 

XXI.     Retail  Salespeople 190 

50  Things  That  Will  Help  You  Get  Ahead 254 

Index 367 


INTRODUCTION 

Mr.  J.  S.  Knox,  author  of  this  book,  is  a  practical 
salesman,  with  many  years  of  experience  in  selling  vari- 
ous commodities.  He  has  thought  long  and  deeply  on  the 
problems  of  life,  business  and  success,  and  has  assembled 
ideas,  facts,  and  experience  from  all  sources  for  this 
publication.  It  is  not  overstating  it  to  say  that  he  has 
condensed  into  one  volume  the  essence  of  a  dozen  books, 
all  of  which  he  has  illuminated  and  made  vital  by  his 
own  practical  and  sympathetic  understanding  of  this  im- 
portant subject. 

"The  Science  and  Art  of  Selling"  is  sweepingly  com- 
prehensive, and  decidedly  concrete.  It  deals  with  the 
laws  that  govern  the  human  mind,  and  shows  that  a 
knowledge  of  those  laws  is  essential  to  advancement  of 
any  kind,  either  in  business  or  in  the  professions. 

Teachers,  writers  and  others  who  love  to  contemplate 
salesmanship  as  a  science,  will  find  herein  much  fresh 
and  interesting  material. 

All  classes  will  enjoy  and  appreciate  the  definitions  of 
salesmanship,  and  their  application  to  every  day  activi- 
ties, showing  how  ''Every  person  is  selling  something." 
These  explanations  will  do  much  to  help  you  place  your- 
self in  the  business  world.  They  also  point  the  way  to 
promotions  and  greater  success. 

Merchants,  large  and  small,  and  salesmen,  trained 
and  untrained,  will  relish  the  "Selling  talks"  and  valu- 
able suggestions  for  making  sales,  based  on  information 
obtained  at  first  hand  by  the  author. 

No  matter  whether  you  are  selling  ideas  or  merchan- 
dise you  will  find  inspiration  and  practical  help  in  this 
book. 

ALBERT  SIDNEY  GREGG. 


PREFACE 

The  problem  of  distribution  is  one  of  the  great  prob- 
lems of  the  country.  The  gap  between  the  producer 
and  the  manufacturer,  on  the  one  hand  and  the  con- 
sumer on  the  other,  is  too  large.  On  every  side  the 
claim  is  made  that  the  farmer  gets  too  little  for  his 
produce  while  the  people  pay  too  much. 

Every  bit  of  unnecessary  waste  must  be  eliminated 
from  the  handling  of  goods.  This  cannot  be  done  through 
ignorance,  which  means  waste,  and  expense  that  must 
be  paid  by  the  consumer.  It  must  be  accomplished  by  a 
careful  technical  training  of-  every  individual  who  has 
anything  to  do  with  the  handling  of  merchandise — travel- 
ing salesmen,  clerks  and  merchants  alike. 

Every  untrained  salesman,  merchant  or  clerk,  adds  to 
the  high  cost  of  living,  which  must  be  paid  by  the  pubHc. 

The  first  part  of  "The  Science  and  Art  of  Selling"  de- 
fines the  economic  factors  which  enter  into  the  cost  of 
marketing  goods.  Lack  of  this  knowledge  is  causing  an 
enormous  number  of  failures  in  the  business  world.  The 
second  department,  which  comprises  the  largest  part  of 
the  book,  is  an  analysis  of  the  human  mind  and  how  to 
deal  with  and  influence  it.  This  is  psychologically  fun- 
damental. No  one  should  expect  to  be  successful  as  a 
salesman,  advertising  man,  letter-writer  or  business  man 
without  such  training.  Instruction  is  given  both  by  pre- 
cept and  example.  Efficient  and  inefficient  selling 
methods  are  analyzed.  Why  certain  methods  result  in 
failure  and  why  others  are  successful  and  the  reasons 
therefor,  are  given.  Selections  from  the  best  retail  and 
specialty  selling  talks  to  be  found  in  the  country  have 
been  included  in  this  volume. 


The  book  is  inspirational,  practical,  interesting  and 
readable.  The  object  has  been  not  only  to  express  ideas 
but  to  effectively  impress  those  ideas  upon  the  reader. 
In  other  words,  the  book  is  written  in  the  language  of 
Salesmanship.  The  English  of  Salesmanship  is  quite 
different  from  the  English  of  Literature.  The  English 
of  Literature  aims  to  entertain,  describe  or  instruct. 
The  English  of  Salesmanship  aims  to  stir  the  human 
mind  to  action.  The  ideas  are  driven  home  with  a  vigor- 
ous, inspirational  style  that  arouses  enthusiasm  and 
carries  conviction.  This  style  of  delivery  is  a  product  of 
psychology,  logic,  an  insight  into  human  nature,  mental 
strategy,  a  knowledge  of  the  goods  and  the  use  of  ef- 
fective words  with  their  proper  arrangement  into  short 
sentences.  This  is  the  English  of  Salesmanship  whether 
spoken  or  written. 

The  book  deals  with  principles  and  their  application; 
in  short,  the  Science  and  Art  of  .Salesmanship.  It  lays 
the  foundation  for  eventual  earning  power  ranging  from 
$5,000  to  $15,000  a  year.  It  develops  inquiring  minds. 
It  causes  the  student  to  ask  the  reason  why.  It  aims  to 
put  him  into  the  mental  attitude  of  Kipling  when  he 
said:  'T  have  six  valiant  fighting  men.  They  taught  me 
all  I  know.  They  are— "What"  and  "Why"  and  "When" 
and  "How"  and  "Where"  and  "Who." 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work  we  have  received 
valuable  assistance  from  hundreds  of  business  men  and 
teachers.  Great  concerns  have  favored  us  with  their 
selling  arguments,  for  which  we  thank  them. 

We  are  particularly  grateful  to  Mr.  M.  R.  Carlson 
for  his  constructive  suggestions,  to  Professor  P.  B.  Ar- 
mold  for  his  pedagogical  guidance,  and  to  Albert  Sidney 


Gregg,  author  and  magazine  writer,  for  his  valuable  lit- 
erary criticisms. 

This  book  is  the  final  product  of  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  of  active  experience  in  the  field  of  salesman- 
ship, sales  management,  sales  instruction  and  sales  and 
business  counsel.  There  is  no  untried  theory  in  it.  Our 
aim  has  been  to  prepare  a  work  that  from  beginning  to 
end  would  be  of  real  practical  value  to  the  student.  We 
have  spared  neither  time  nor  expense  to  accomplish  this 
purpose. 


Cleveland,  Ohio,  July  15,  1921. 


Important  Factors  of 
Production  and  Distribution 
Methods  of  Marketing 
Sales  Organizations 
Management 
How  to  Increase  Your  Salary 


Basic  Laws  of  Human  Nature 
Human  Instincts 
Emotions 
Five  Senses 


BASIC 

PRINCIPLES 

OF 

SALESMANSHIP 


Why  Salesmanship  Has 

Developed  So  Slowly 
Qualifications  for  Selling 

MENTAL  LAW  OF  SALE 

Salesmanship  Analyzed 

Suggestion 


Approach 

Attention 

Interest 

Conviction 

Desire 

Resolve  to  Buy 

Close 


RETAIL 
SALESMANSHIP 


The  Retail  Salesman 
Types  of  Customers 
Model  Sales  Talks 
Sales  Demonstrations 
Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 
Suggestions  to  Salesprople 
Retail  Selling  Methods 
Retail  Store  Training 
Management  Problems 


EFFICIENT 

AND 

INEFFICIENT 

SELLING 

METHODS 

Illustrated 


Illustrations  of  Efficient 

and 

Inefficient  Selling  Methods 

From   Personal  Investigation  o( 

Hundreds  of  Stores 


Parts 


SPECIALTY 
SALESMANSHIP 


Origin  of  Salesmanship  Instructions 
Subscjiption  Book  Salesmanship 
Model  Selling  Talks 
House  to  House  Selling 
Specialty  Demonstrations 
Insurance 


CHART  I.     THE  SCIENCE  AND  ART  OF  SELLING 


FUNDAMENTAL  FACTORS 

IN 

BUSI  NESS 


YOU  MAY  BE  THE  HIGHEST 
TYPEOF  SALESMAN  BUT 
THROUGH  LACK  OF  BUSI 
NESS  FUNDAMENTALS  BE 
AN    ECONOMIC   FAILURE 


CHART  II.     FUNDAMENTAL  FACTORS  IN  BUSINESS 


PART  I 

Fundamental  Factors  in  Business 
CHAPTER  I 


Economics  of  Distribution 

Fundamental  Your  success  in  salesmanship  depends 
Factors  in  upon   two   fundamental   factors:    First, 

Salesmanship      your  knowledge  of  business  economics 
and    your    understanding    of    business 
psychology;  second,  how   you   utilize    that    information 
after  you  get  it. 

Economics  Many  salesmen  have  a  fair  insight  into 
and  Human  the  science  of  human  nature  as  it  relates 
Nature  to  the  sale  of  goods,  but  their  grasp  of 

economic  factors  entering  into  the  selling 
price  of  an  article  is  often  very  limited. 

The  Guesser  A  merchant  may  be  a  master  retail  sales- 
Courts  man,  but  unless  he  is  able  to  determine 
Failure  every  item  of  cost,  and  knows  how  to 
mark  his  goods  so  as  to  insure  a  definite 
net  profit,  he  is  merely  guessing,  and  to  guess  is  to  court 
failure. 

To  Help  You      It  is  our  aim  in  this  book  to  teach  you 

Succeed  how  to  become  a  successful  salesman. 

But  we  are  more  interested  in  helping 

you  evolve  into  a  prosperous  business  man  or  woman. 

1 


CHART  III.     PRINCIPAL  FACTORS  OF  PRODUCTION  AND  DISTRIBUTION 

2 


EcoNo:\iics  OF  Dtstrirutiox 


This  first  chapter  will  therefore  be  devoted  to  a  study 
of  the  general  system  of  distribution  which  is  operative 
in  business  to-day. 

Graphic  In  the  interesting  graphic  charts  of  various 
Charts  marketing  systems  given  elsewhere  you  will 
find  mental  pictures  showing  how  an  article 
finds  its  way  from  the  producer  through  the  channels  of 
trade  to  the  ultimate  consumer.  Study  these  charts  care- 
fully. They  will  aid  you  at  every  step  in  your  eflForts 
to  understand  this  subject.  Our  present  system  of  dis- 
tribution in  the  case  of  many  products  is  very  wasteful 
and  extravagant.  Try  to  work  out  practical,  improved 
methods  which  you  believe  would  effect  a  saving  for  the 
final  purchaser. 

The  Retail  The  retail  merchant  is  a  factor  in  an  econ- 
Merchant  omic  distributing  system  which  exists  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  human  wants,  at 
a  profit,  to  each  factor  in  the  system.  He  is  a  link  in  a 
long  service  chain  which  carries  goods  from  the  original 
producer  to  the  person  who  eventually  consumes  them. 

Producer  Let  us  now  consider  the  entire  distributing 
to  the  system  of  which  the  retail  merchant  is  a 

Consumer      part ;  and  in  order  that  the  various  factors 
may  be  understood  the  following  definitions 
are  given: 

1.  The  producer  is  the  man  or  concern  that  is  instru- 
mental in  actually  producing  the  article.  The  producer 
sometimes,  but  not  always,  acts  as  his  own  selling  agent. 


Science  and  Art  of  Selltnc 


2.  The  manufacturer  is  the  man  or  concern  that  buys 
raw  materials  and  through  a  manufacturing  process 
changes  the  raw  material  or  combination  of  materials 
into  a  usable  product.  The  manufacturer  usually  dis- 
poses of  his  product  through  middlemen.  All  those  who 
handle  goods  in  their  progress  from  the  producer  or 
manufacturer  to  the  ultimate  consumer  are  termed 
middlemen. 

3.  The  broker,  commission  man,  sales  agent,  exporter 
and  importer  are  men  or  firms  that  assist  the  producer 
or  manufacturer,  in  disposing  of  his  product  to  large 
buyers  and  distributing  concerns.  They  sell  through 
personal  effort,  traveling  salesmen  and  by  direct  mail. 

4.  The  wholesaler  sells  direct  to  the  retailer,  through 
traveling  salesmen  and  direct  mail. 

5.  The  jobber  performs  the  same  function  as  the 
wholesaler. 

6.  The  general  mail-order  house  buys  direct  from  the 
manufacturer,  or  manufactures  its  own  products.  It 
sells  direct  to  the  consumer  through  catalogs  and  direct 
mail  advertising. 

7.  The  retailer  as  a  rule  buys  through  middlemen. 
He  sells  direct  to  the  consumer  through  store  display 
and  clerks. 

8.  The  banker  is  an  important  factor  in  every  trans- 
action. Payment  for  goods  is  generally  made  through 
a  bank  except  small  purchases  which  the  consumer  makes 
in  the  retail  store. 


Economics  of  Distribution 


Understand        Man  has  failed  to  study  the  economics 
Human  of  distribution  and  himself  in  relation  to 

Nature  it.    He  has  failed  to  understand  the  laws 

governing  his  mind,  and  these  laws  after 
all  are  simple  enough  when  once  understood.  Man  has 
failed  to  study  and  understand  human  nature ;  the  feel- 
ings, habits,  instincts  and  thought  processes  of  himself 
and  his  fellows,  and  how  to  influence  people  as  a  result 
of  that  knowledge.  Of  course,  we  have  had  psycholo- 
gists, but  the  average  student  did  not  study  far  enough 
in  school  to  learn  anything  about  psychology,  and  fur- 
thermore, most  of  our  texts  on  the  subject  are  so  ab- 
stract that  the  ordinary  man  without  much  education  is 
unable  to  understand  them.  In  other  words,  he  has  not 
known  how  to  apply  the  theories  of  psychology  to  the 
solution  of  his  own  problems. 

The  Problem      In  order  that  we  may  have  a  better  un- 
of  derstanding  of  salesmanship  we  must  do 

Distribution  more  than  simply  study  the  psychology 
of  making  a  sale.  We  must  study  the 
economic  and  psychological  forces  back  of  the  sale ;  we 
must,  at  least  to  some  extent,  make  a  study  of  the  prob- 
lem of  distribution.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  growers' 
associations  very  little  has  been  done  among  the  farm- 
ers of  America  to  efficiently  dispose  of  their  products. 
There  is  too  much  margin  between  the  price  which  the 
farmer  gets  for  his  produce  and  the  price  which  the 
consumer  is  obliged  to  pay,  particularly  the  consumers  in 
the  great  cities.  Markets  have  been  established  in  many 
places.  In  a  few  of  these  markets  farmers  have  been 
able  to  sell  their  products  very  successfully,  at  the  low- 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


est  possible  cost  to  the  consumer  and  at  a  fair  margin  of 
profit  to  themselves.  In  some  Canadian  towns  and  cit- 
ies, the  farmers  bring  their  pork,  beef  and  vegetables  to 
a  designated  open  space  and  sell  directly  to  the  public. 
It  is  quite  possible  that  better  roads  and  the  automobile 
truck  will  be  an  effective  means  of  bringing  the  farmer's 
produce  and  the  city's  kitchen  closer  together. 

Need  of  The  farmer  must  learn  how  to  market  his 

Improved  products  at  a  greater  profit  to  himself  and 
Methods  less  expense  to  the  consumer.  The  time  is 
not  far  distant  when  the  farmers  in  the 
great  meat  producing  states  w^ill  realize  the  inefficiency  of 
shipping  their  cattle  and  hogs  hundreds  of  miles  to  mar- 
ket and  then  buying  the  dressed  meat  at  their  local  shops ; 
not  only  paying  freight  both  ways  but  making  profits 
for  several  concerns.  There  will  eventually  be  more 
packing  houses  and  less  duplication  of  hauling  and  hand- 
ling. 

In  discussing  this  subject  a  prominent  writer  has  the 
following  to  say:  "Investigations  of  the  high  cost  of 
living  continually  emphasize  the  lack  of  efficiency  in  the 
distribution  of  goods.  While  calls  are  going  out  from 
all  quarters  for  increased  production,  it  is  unfortunate 
that  there  is  little  or  no  evidence  of  effort  to  bring  down 
the  cost  of  distributing  things,  once  they  are  produced. 
Inefficiency  in  this  respect  is  found  all  along  the  line. 
While  farmers  find  it  difficult  to  grow  crops  to  feed  the 
world,  they  also  face  marketing  methods  that  handicap 
profitable  production.  Farmers  cannot  get  enough  for 
their  produce  to  warrant  paying  sufficient  wages  to  keep 


Economics  of  Distribution 


the  young  men  on  the  farms  or  to  attract  new  workers, 
and  before  the  food  they  raise  reaches  the  city's  table  it 
costs  an  exorbitant  price. 

Distribution  "It  is  also  costing  too  much  to  get  goods 
of  Raw  from  the  manufacturer  to  the  ultimate 

Materials  consumer.     In  the  distribution  of  raw 

materials  from  which  the  manufactured 
goods  are  made,  the  necessary  articles  pass  through  sev- 
eral hands  before  they  reach  the  manufacturing  plant. 
According  to  the  present  custom  liberal  profits  are  paid 
for  brokerage,  freight,  insurance,  Interest  on  loans  and 
storage  charges,  so  that  the  manufacturer  pays  double 
and  sometimes  more  than  double  the  price  paid  to  the 
original  producer  of  the  raw  material  to  be  used  In  mak- 
ing the  finished  article.  Then  after  an  article  has  been 
manufactured — the  result  of  modern  machinery  and 
efficient  production  methods — It  must  sometimes  travel 
through  a  course  of  brokers,  brokers'  agents,  jobbers, 
wholesalers  and  speculators  before  it  reaches  the  retail- 
ers' shelves.  Each  transaction  means  added  profits  and 
added  expense,  which  the  consumer  must  pay. 

"It  Is  commonly  known  that  the  manufacturing  cost 
of  many  articles  is  not  more  than  20%  of  the  price  paid 
by  the  consumer,  which  means  that  if  you  pay  $1.00  for 
an  article,  80  cents  of  that  $1.00  goes  to  pay  the  cost  of 
getting  the  article  from  the  manufacturer  to  you,  and 
the  20  cents  was  the  actual  cost  of  making  the  article. 
By  this  time  there  is  no  comparison  of  the  original  cost 
of  the  raw  material  from  which  the  product  was  made. 
Some  of  this  added  expense  is  necessary.    Some  of  the 


Science  and  Art  of  vSeeltng 


profits  made  in  the  distribution  of  goods  are  honest. 
But  a  considerable  portion  of  the  additional  amount  paid 
by  consumers  goes  into  the  coffers  of  those  who  seldom 
see  the  goods,  never  assist  in  their  production  and  never 
meet  the  actual  expense  entailed  in  the  process  of  dis- 
tribution, which  would  all  be  unnecessary  if  we  gave  as 
much  attention  to  efficient  methods  of  distributing  things 
as  we  do  to  manufacturing  them.  There  is  hardly  a 
commodity  which  does  not  cost  a  great  deal  more  than 
it  would  because  of  the  inefficient,  unbusinesslike,  unnec- 
essary and  antiquated  clog  in  our  commercial  machinery 
— poor  distribution  methods.  It  is  too  much  to  hope  for 
the  immediate  correction  of  this  evil,  but  it  is  an  achieve- 
ment eminently  to  be  desired  and  now  is  the  time  for 
business  producers  to  initiate  a  nation  wide  campaign  to 
bring  sources  of  production  and  the  consumer  closer  to- 
gether." 

Economic  In  some  places  there  are  twice  as  many 
Waste  jobbers  and  twice  as  many  traveling  sales- 

men as  are  economically  needed.  There 
are  double  the  number  of  retail  stores  in  the  country  as 
are  needed  to  efficiently  serve  the  public.  This  added 
cost  must  of  course  be  paid  by  the  people  who  buy  and 
use  the  goods.  We  will  never  have  efficient  distribution 
until  every  dollar  of  economic  waste  is  eliminated.  In 
some  communities  we  occasionally  find  a  merchant  who 
feels  that  the  business  of  the  community  is  to  support 
him;  on  the  other  hand,  he  should  realize  that  his  busi- 
ness is  to  serve  the  community  efficiently  and  economi- 
cally.   If  he  cannot  do  this  or  will  not  do  it,  he  should 


Economics  of  Distribution 


be  eliminated  and  his  place  taken  by  a  man  who  can  and 
will. 

A  Change  is  But  a  great  change  in  the  methods  of 
Noticeable  distribution  is  noticeable.     Twenty  years 

ago  about  95%  of  the  business  men  of 
this  country  said  salesmen  were  born,  not  made.  Now 
•business  men  agree  that  their  salesmen  must  be  trained 
because  competition  is  so  strong  that  no  business  concern 
can  long  exist  if  Its  sales  organization  is  untrained  and 
inefficient.  The  untrained  salesman  now  is  a  financial 
luxury  and  therefore  an  economic  impossibility. 

Basic  Law  Why  this  great  change  in  public  sentiment  ? 
of  Human  Twenty  years  ago  95%  of  the  business  men 
Nature  of  the  country  actually  believed  that  sales- 

men could  not  be  trained.  They  believed 
this  because  they  were  not  trained  themselves,  and  it  is 
a  fundamental  law  of  human  nature  and  of  salesmanship 
that  what  man  does  not  understand  he  opposes.  Through 
all  the  history  of  the  world  this  law  has  operated,  in  busi- 
ness, In  religion,  and  politics.  Jesus,  the  Savior  of  the 
world,  was  crucified  because  certain  men  did  not  under- 
stand; Socrates  was  obliged  to  drink  the  hemlock  for 
the  same  reason ;  Burroughs  invented  an  adding  machine 
that  revolutionized  the  banking  systems  of  the  world  and 
yet  It  took  Burroughs'  salesmen  four  years  to  sell  an 
adding  machine  to  one  of  the  great  banks  in  Chicago. 
That  bank  has  now  more  than  one  hundred  Burroughs. 
It  needed  those  machines  then  as  badly  as  It  does  now, 
but  it  did  not  understand  the  machine,  and  for  that  rea- 
son opposed  the  purchase.    Years  ago  Chauncey  M.  De- 


10  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

pew  said  it  was  forty  years  from  the  time  an  idea 
originated  until  it  was  enacted  into  national  law.  What 
people  do  not  understand  they  oppose  and  that  is  a  great 
law  for  the  salesman  to  realize. 


SUMMARY 

A  great  many  business  men  and  salespeople  do  not- 
give  due  consideration  to  the  economics  of  distribution, 
and  the  factors  entering  into  its  consideration. 

Human  nature  is  one  of  the  greatest  factors  and  with- 
out doubt  one  of  the  most  neglected. 

The  five  great  M's  of  the  business  world  are  Money, 
Materials,  Machinery,  Markets  and  Men.  The  greatest 
of  these  is  Men. 

The  farmer  must  learn  to  market  his  products  at  a 
greater  profit  to  himself  and  less  expense  to  the  con- 
sumer. 

It  is  costing  too  much  to  get  goods  from  the  manu- 
facturer to  the  consumer. 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 
1.-    What  are  the  two  fundamental  factors  of  success- 
ful salesmanship? 

2.  Name  and  give  functions  of  each  of  the  various 
factors  from  producer  to  consumer. 

3.  What  is  meant  by  the  psychology  of  making  a 
sale? 

4.  Discuss  selling  from  the  producers*  standpoint. 

5.  Give  some  causes  of  economic  waste  to-day. 


METHODS  OF  MARKETING 


PRODUCER 
OR 

MANUFACTURER , 


CONSUMER 


CHART  IV.     METHODS  OF  MARKETING 
12 


CHAPTER  II 


Trade  Channels 

The  An  ideal  system  of  distribution  is  one  in  which 

Ideal  there  are  no  more  middlemen  than  are  abso- 

lutely necessary  for  effective  and  economical 
distribution  of  products.  In  some  branches  of  trade  the 
expense  added  by  the  extra  handling  of  merchandise 
through  unnecessary  middlemen  is  enormous.  The  price 
of  some  farm  products  is  sometimes  increased  as  high 
as  300%  to  400%  by  the  time  they  reach  the  city  con- 
sumer. 

Illustration  The  first  cantaloupes  shipped  to  Eastern 
markets  are  raised  in  the  Imperial  Val- 
ley, California.  Harvesting  and  shipping  these  canta- 
loupes begins  about  the  first  of  May.  From  that  time 
until  the  end  of  the  season,  dozens  of  jobbers  and  buy- 
ers are  to  be  found  on  the  streets  in  the  cantaloupe 
shipping  centers.  The  average  farmer  raises  a  few  acres 
of  cantaloupes.  When  they  are  ready  for  market,  he 
picks  and  crates  them  in  the  boxes  so  familiar  to  you. 
Then  he  hauls  his  melons  to  town.  There  they  are  pur- 
chased by  a  local  buyer  who  pays  the  farmer  about  3 
cents  each  for  the  same  cantaloupes  that  are  sold  for  20 
cents  or  25  cents  when  they  reach  the  city  markets. 
The  local  buyer  sells  his  day's  purchase  to  some  ship- 
ping broker,  who  in  turn  sells  to  a  Chicago,  New  York 
or  other  Eastern  broker.  The  Eastern  broker  sells  those 
cantaloupes  to  a  jobbing  or  distributing  concern,  who 
sells  them  to  the  retail  merchant,  from  whom  you  pur- 
chase your  cantaloupe  for  breakfast.     About  3  cents  of 

13 


14  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

the  price  you  pay  for  the  cantaloupe  goes  to  the  farmer 
for  raising,  packing  and  hauHng  the  melon  to  his  local 
shipping  point.  The  difference  between  3  cents  and  15 
cents,  20  cents  or  25  cents,  which  you  pay  for  the  melon, 
goes  to  the  middlemen  for  getting  the  melon  to  your 
table. 

Methods  The  average  man  is  constitutionally  lazy. 
of  the  The  average  retail  merchant  is  no  exception 

Retailer  and  he  usually  buys. his  merchandise  along 

the  line  of  least  resistance  to  him,  little  re- 
alizing the  extra  cost  to  his  estabHshment.  Most  retail 
merchants  buy  all  their  merchandise  from  jobbers'  sales- 
men who  call  upon  them  at  regular  intervals  and  take 
orders  for  all  stock  needed;  pay  their  invoices  at  what- 
ever price  is  billed,  and  then  add  their  regular  percentage 
of  profit  to  establish  their  retail  selling  price.  During  a 
period  of  rising  prices  it  doesn't  make  any  difference  to 
the  average  retailer  how  much  prices  increase,  he  merely 
adds  his  regular  percentage  of  profit  to  invoices  received 
and  pushes  the  increase  on  for  the  consumer  to  pay.  It 
is  true  that  there  usually  is  a  prevailing  standard  price 
on  all  staple  articles.  However,  it  is  always  the  unusual 
idea  that  gets  the  unusual  result  and  the  live  merchant 
will  study  his  merchandise  needs  with  unusual  shrewd- 
ness. 

One  Way  to  The  retail  merchant  who  is  studying  con- 
Cut  Costs  ditions  and  who  knows  the  f  needs  of  his 
business  will  watch  for  opportunities  to  buy 
"job  lots"  of  merchandise  in  the  market  benters.  He 
will  go  to  the  nearby  city  markets  and  purchase  bargains 
which  he  knows  he  can  sell.     He  will  rush  his  unusual 


Trade  Channels  15 


"buys"  to  his  store,  mark  them  at  a  fair  margin  of  profit 
and  then  advertise  the  sale  to  all  of  his  trade  at  once. 
This  merchant  will  keep  himself  posted  on  the  current 
market  prices  on  every  article  sold  in  his  store.  He  will 
buy  all  merchandise  as  near  its  source  of  production  as 
possible. 

Eliminating  At  present  an  effort  is  being  made  by 
Middlemen  many  large  manufacturers  to  eliminate 
Through  the  middlemen  and  promote  sales  by  ad- 

Advertising  vertising  directly  to  the  consumer.  By 
making  the  public  familiar  with  the  name 
of  the  article  and  its  merits,  a  demand  is  developed  es- 
pecially if  the  advertising  encourages  people  to  call  on 
the  retailer  when  they  wish  to  buy.  Responding  to  the 
inquiries  the  retailer  will  seek  to  procure  the  article 
wanted;  and  where  a  strong  desire  has  been  created 
there  is  not  so  much  need  for  several  salesmen,  as  in  the 
case  of  unadvertised  goods.  Strong  consumer  demand 
lessens  sales  effort  and  simplifies  distribution. 

Necessity  of  While  all  products  have  the  consumer  as 
Middlemen  their  ultimate  destination,  conditions  are 

often  too  complex  for  the  consumer  to 
come  into  direct  contact  with  the  producer  and  buy  what 
he  needs.  Take  such  articles  as  wheat,  corn,  cotton  and 
wool  for  example;  it  is  inevitable  that  the  bulk  of  the 
production  in  these  lines  should  be  collected  little  by 
little  in  many  markets  from  individual  producers  and 
subject  to  the  handling  of  various  commission  men,  brok- 
ers, and  agents — all  of  whom  must  use  the  services  of 
salesmen — before  the  ultimate  consumer  can  be  served. 

t 


CHART  V,    MANUFACTURER'S  ORGANIZATION 

16 


Trade  Channels  17 

Simplest  In  a  few  cases,  o£  course,  it  is  possible 

Form  of  for  one  to  buy  direct  from  the  farmer 

Marketing  and  the  producer.    This  is  marketing  re- 

duced to  its  most  desirable  form.  How- 
ever, business  and  living  conditions  are  too  complex  for 
a  large  proportion  of  a  civilized  people  to  adopt  such 
simple  methods.  It  is  necessary  usually  to  utilize  certain 
business  machinery — such  as  salesmanship  in  its  various 
forms — in  order  to  so  distribute  and  make  known  the 
product  that  the  consumer  may  obtain  it  conveniently. 

Modern  The  modern  tendency  is  to  reduce  the  num- 

Tendency  ber  of  middlemen,  but  it  should  not  be  taken 
for  granted  that  the  jobber,  or  wholesaler 
is  always  unnecessary,  or  that  his  only  office  is  to  add  to 
the  retail  price  of  the  article.  In  many  instances  he  is  an 
indispensable  part  of  the  manufacturer's  distributing 
plan.  In  the  case  of  an  article  like  catsup  or  matches, 
so  little  is  sold  by  the  average  small  town  grocer  that  the 
manufacturer  cannot  profitably  undertake  to  open  direct 
selling  negotiations  with  the  retailers  or  consumers. 

Manufacturer  When  a  great  consumer  demand  has  been 
Sells  Direct  created  for  an  article  like  Coca-Cola, 
to  Retailer  Uneeda  Biscuits,  57  Varieties  and  many 

other  articles  that  are  known  in  every 
household  in  the  United  States,  it  is  possible  for  the  man- 
ufacturer of  that  article  to  eliminate  all  middlemen  and 
sell  direct  to  the  retailer,  as  the  makers  of  the  above 
named  articles  do.  Such  manufacturers  maintain  their 
own  sales  organizations  for  calling  upon  the  retail  deal- 


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CHART  VI.     MODERN  SALES  ORGANIZATION 

18 


Trade  Channels  19 


ers,  and  do  not  depend  upon  jobbers'  salesmen  for  the 
distribution  of  their  products. 

Manufacturer  Some  manufacturers  control  all  fac- 
Sells  Through  tors  of  the  distribution  and  sale  of 
Own  Stores  their  products,  and  have  established 

their  own  exclusive  retail  stores  in 
principal  cities  and  populous  communities.  This  is  done 
successfully  by  several  prominent  shoe  manufacturers 
and  others. 

Originator  of  The  American  Magazine  credits  El- 

Manufacturer's  mer  J.  Bliss  with  being  the  originator 
Chain  Shoe  Store  of  the  single-price  chain-shoe-store 
idea.  It  says :  "Starting  with  a  little 
basement  shoe  store  in  an  unpromising  sales  section  of 
Boston,  Mr.  Bliss  has  built  up  one  of  the  most  important 
chains  of  retail  shoe  stores  in  the  world.  To-day  he 
owns  three  factories  and  sixty  stores,  and  his  shoes  are 
sold  in  all  quarters  of  the  globe  by  more  than  1,600 
agencies.  Mr.  Bliss  was  the  originator  of  the  single-price 
chain-shoe-store  idea.  In  addition  to  many  record-break- 
ing feats  of  salesmanship,  he  has  invented  and  patented 
twenty-one  devices  in  connection  with  the  making  of 
shoes,  and  has  patents  pending  on  eight  more." 

Manufacturer  General  advertisers  of  the  class  of  the 
Sells  Direct  National  Cash  Register  Company,  Bur- 
to  Consumer  roughs  Adding  Machine  Company,  the 
Addressograph  Company,  the  typewriter 
companies  and  manufacturers  of  many  well  known  spec- 
ialties, insurance  companies  and  subscription  book  pub- 


20  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Ushers,  do  not  dispose  of  their  products  through  the  reg- 
ular channels  of  trade.  They  maintain  their  own  offices 
and  sales  organizations  in  principal  cities  throughout  the 
country.  It  is  a  large  undertaking  to  establish  such  sales 
offices.  It  requires  a  vast  amount  of  capital  and  big  cal- 
iber executives  to  hire,  train  and  manage  hundreds  of 
salesmen  operating  all  over  the  globe.  Nevertheless,  in 
the  end  this  is  the  most  profitable  and  sometimes  the 
only  possible  sales  plan  for  concerns  of  this  type.  As 
they  cannot  expect  aggressive  sales  work  from  the  un- 
trained salesmen  in  the  average  retail  establishments, 
they  have  no  recourse  but  to  organize,  train  and  manage 
their  own  sales  force. 

Trained  Salesmen  representing  this  class  of  manu- 

Specialty  facturers  are  the  highest  type  and  best 
Salesmen  trained  salesmen  in  the  field  of  commercial 
distribution.  Also,  they  are  among  the  best 
paid  men  to  be  found  in  the  country.  The  salesmen  for 
one  manufacturer  of  this  class,  who  hires,  trains  and 
employs  hundreds  of  salesmen  all  over  the  world,  aver- 
aged a  little  more  than  $7,000.00  each  in  commissions 
earned  last  year.  Many  trained- salesmen  earn  more  than 
$10,000.00  a  year  in  commissions  and  salary.  The  com^ 
missions  earned  by  one  insurance  salesman  of  my  ac- 
quaintance amounted  to  more  than  $50,000.00  for  the 
first  nine  months  of  this  year.  His  commissions  and 
bonuses  will  doubtless  total  more  than  the  President's 
salary,  $75,(XX).00,  before  this  year  ends.  He  spent  years 
in  training  to  be  a  high  type  salesman,  and  he  has  been 
well  paid  for  his  efforts.  It  will  pay  you,  too,  to  prepare 
for  the  big  sales  positions.    Methods  used  by  successful 


Trade  Channels  21 


salesmen  in  this  field  will  be  explained  in  the  chapter 
entitled  "Specialty  Salesmanship."  You  should  spare  no 
effort  to  master  all  of  the  principles  and  ideas  outlined 
in  that  chapter.  You  will  be  well  repaid  for  your  time 
and  study.  You  may  succeed  without  mastering  the  prin- 
ciples of  Scientific  Salesmanship,  but  not  so  well.  When 
95%  of  all  men  fail  in  business  can  you  afford  to  take  a 
chance  not  to  prepare  yourself  for  the  best  possible  po- 
sition you  are  capable  of  holding? 


Q  VEST  IONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Trace  a  bag  of  wheat  from  the  producer  until  he 
buys  it  in  the  form  of  bread  for  his  Sunday  dinner. 

2.  Subject  for  debate,  Resolved:     That  the  middle- 
man is  a  necessity. 

3.  What   effect   does  good  advertising  have   on  the 
middleman  ? 

4.  What  problems  are  being  considered  by  the  Nat- 
ional Federation  of  Farm  Bureaus? 

5.  Discuss  pro  and  con,  the  co-operative  store  plan 
for  employees. 

6.  Name  some  manufactured  products  that  are  sold 
direct  to  the  consumer. 

7.  Describe  the  "chain  store"  plan. 


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CHART  VII,     BUSINESS  FUNDAMENTALS 

22 


CHAPTER  III 


Retail  Store  Management 

Necessity  for  Efficient  Accounting  Records 
Startling        During  1920  we  made  a  personal   survey 
Facts  among  hundreds  of  retail  merchants,  work- 

ing with- many  different  jobbers'  and  manu- 
facturers' salesmen.  This  investigation  showed  that  90% 
to  97%  of  the  retail  merchants  in  small  stores  do  not 
make  or  possess  efficient  records  of  their  business  trans- 
actions. They  know  very  little  about  their  business, 
and  don't  know  that  they  don't  know.  They  are  contin- 
ually guessing ;  guessing  prices  will  go  up,  guessing  prices 
will  come  down,  guessing  business  is  bad,  guessing  busi- 
ness is  good. 

The  Man  One  of  the  questions  we  asked  the  aver- 

Who  Guesses  age  retail  store  proprietor  in  our  survey 
was  this :  "Has  your  business  been  bet- 
ter this  year  than  it  was  last  year?"  The  faltering,  hes- 
itating answer  we  received  from  nearly  every  merchant 
who  did  not  know  the  vital  facts  about  his  affairs  was 
something  like  this :  "O,  I  guess  it  has  been  a  little  bet- 
ter this  year;  we  have  been  very  busy  lately."  Or  he 
would  probably  say :  '*No,  I  don't  think  our  business  is 
as  good  this  year  as  it  was  last  year.  You  see  money  is 
getting  tight,"  etc. 

23 


34  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

His  Future  When  we  asked  him  about  his  plans  for  the 
future  (this  man,  with  no  accurate  account- 
ing records  of  his  business)  the  usual  answer  we  got 
was:  "Well,  you  can't  tell  what  will  happen.  You  see 
this  business  is  different.  It  all  depends  upon  how  things 
turn  out  next  year.    I  can't  make  plans  now." 

The  Man  Occasionally  we  would  find  the  excep- 

Who  Knows  tional  retail  proprietor,  one  of  the  5% 
class,  who  kept  efficient  accounting  rec- 
ords and  knew  the  vital  factors  that  affect  business.  We 
would  ask  him  the  same  question:  "Has  your  business 
been  better  this  year  than  it  was  last  year  ?"  His  simple 
and  convincing  answer  was  always  definite  and  to  the 
point,  for  example :  "Our  business  has  been  26%  better 
this  year.  Our  total  sales  so  far  have  been  $80,603.  Our 
total  sales  at  this  date  last  year  were  $59,646.  We  find 
our  increase  has  been  the  result  of  such  and  such  ideas." 

Plans  for  It  was  a  pleasure  to  ask  such  a  man  about 
the  Future  his  plans  for  the  future.  At  once  he  would 
unconsciously  display  his  spirit  of  confi- 
dence, his  mastery  of  fear,  and  his  ability  to  look  forward 
with  a  vision  of  understanding.  This  was  the  result  of 
the  knowledge  he  had  secured  from  his  accurate  records. 

Which  Man        Picture  in  your  mind  two  men  at  the 
Will  Win?  bottom  of   a   strange,  high  treacherous 

mountain.  Their  task  is  to  reach  the 
other  side.  One  man  is  blindfolded.  The  other  has  keen 
eyesight  and  he  is  studying  a  map  of  the  trail  ahead. 


Retail  Store  Management  25 

From  where  you  stand  you  can  see  that  the  trail  leading 
upward  is  narrow,,  very  steep  and  rocky,  and  as  it  winds 
back  and  forth  you  see  many  sharp  and  dangerous  turns. 
Thousands  of  men  have  tried  to  climb  the  mountain  of 
business  success  and  only  5%  have  ever  reached  the 
heights.  Ninety-five  out  of  every  hundred  have  fallen 
by  the  wayside. 

Do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  for  the  blindfolded 
man  to  reach  the  top?  No,  he  is  doomed  before  he 
starts.  And  the  man  who  attempts  to  manage  a  retail 
store  or  any  other  business  without  efficient  records  is 
like  a  blindfolded  man  trying  to  make  his  way  up  the 
side  of  a  mountain.     He  is  sure  to  fail. 

The  Price  of  In  discussing  this  subject  the  Bureau  of 
Lax  Methods  Business  Research  of  Harvard  Univers- 
ity says ;  "A  surprisingly  large  proportion 
of  the  retail  grocers  of  the  country  do  not  keep  accounts 
that  are  even  approximately  accurate.  The  result  is  un- 
stable business,  danger  of  frequent  failures,  and  a  heavy 
credit  rush  to  wholesalers  and  manufacturers.  This  is 
unsound  from  the  business  standpoint  and  a  heavy  bur- 
den to  the  public,  which  eventually  pays  the  price  of  lax 
methods." 

Need  of  Possibly  in  no  other  business  is  an  accurate 

Accurate  accounting  system  so  necessary  as  in  the 
Accounting  grocery  business,  because  in  that  business 
the  net  profits  are  very  small.  Yet  in  no 
other  business  is  there  so  much  accounting  laxity,  care- 
lessness and  lack  of  definite  knowledge.     This  is  due  to 


26  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

the  fact  that  most  of  the  men  engaged  in  this  business 
had  a  very  limited  school  education  to  begin  with  and  in 
most  cases  no  training  in  advanced  accounting  methods 
or  even  in  bookkeeping.  We  are  beginning  to  realize 
that  every  boy  and  girl  should  be  thoroughly  grounded  in 
bookkeeping  no  matter  what  trade,  business  or  profession 
he  or  she  may  intend  to  engage  in,  because  accurate  ac- 
counting is  the  foundation  of  all  business.  Anything  else 
is  a  foundation  of  sand,  and  when  the  storm  comes  as  it 
always  does,  the  foundation  crumbles  and  the  structure 
speedily  goes  to  pieces. 

Study  of  The   Bureau   of   Business   Research   of 

1000  Grocery  Harvard  Graduate  School  of  Business 
Stores  Administration  made  a  study  of  more 

than  a  thousand  grocery  stores  covering 
a  period  from  1914  to  1919.  As  a  result  of  this  survey 
they  were  able  to  compile  figures  that  give  a  clear  analy- 
sis of  practically  every  item  entering  into  the  manage- 
ment of  a  retail  grocery  store.  The  student  of  retail 
salesmanship  should  know  the  facts  pertaining  to  retail 
store  management.  It  should  be  his  ambition  to  evolve 
out  of  mere  selling  into  the  larger  phase  of  the  busi- 
ness— that  of  managing  or  owning.  He  can  hope  to  make 
such  advance  only  after  becoming  possessed  of  the  facts 
surrounding  positions  of  greater  responsibility  and  larger 
influence.  Following  are  the  expense  statistics  compiled 
by  the  Harvard  Graduate  School  of  Business  Adminis- 
tration from  a  study  of  more  than  one  thousand  grocery 
stores : 


Retail  Store  Management 


37 


OPERATING  EXPENSES  IN  RETAIL  GROCERY  STORES 
Net  Sales  100% 

Lowest  Highest        Common 

%  %  % 

Wages  of  Salesforce 3.0  8.7  4.7 

Advertising  0.01  2.82  0.2 

Wrapping  and  Other  Selling  Exp.     0.11  2.26  0.55 

Total  Selling  Expense  3.41  9.94  5.8 

Wages  of  Delivery  Force 0.26  2.84  1.4 

Other  Delivery  Expense  0.04  2.37  1.0 

Total  Delivery  Expense  0.66  4.36  2.4 

Buying,    Management    and    Office 

Salaries 0.58  5.97    ^  1.6 

Office     Supplies,     Postage,     Other 

Buying  and  Management  Exp 0.01  1.18  0.1 

Total     Buying    and    Management 

Expense 0.78  6.38  1.7 

Total  Interest 0.15  2.2B  0.9 

Rent    0.33  3.45  1.1 

Heat,  Light  and  Power  ..................    0.07  0.98  0.25 

Taxes   (except  income  and  build- 
ings)        0.01  0.49  0.13 

Insurance    (except  on  buildings)..    0.02  0.62  0.14 

Repairs  of  Store  Equipment 0.01  0.43  0.08 

Depreciation  of  Store  Equipment..    0.07  2.17  0.25 
Total  Fixed  Charges  and  Upkeep 

Expense  1.35  6.82  3.0 

Miscellaneous  Expense  0.19  1.97  0.5 

Losses  from  Bad  Debts  0.04  3.31  0.4 

Total  Expense  '. 9.0  22.8  14.0 

Gross    and    Net   Profit 

Gross  Profit  10.5  26.M  16.9 

Net  Profit   (or  Loss) Loss    6.05  Profit  9.29     Profit  2.3 


Similar  figures  might  be  secured  for  every  retail  or 
general  business.  The  basic  business  principles  are  ex- 
actly the  same  in  all  of  them.  The  only  thing  that  is 
different  is  the  figures. 


CHAPTER  IV 


Better  Bookkeeping  Procedure 

A  Primer  Through  its  business  service  department 

on  Double  the  National  Association  of  Credit  ]\Ien 

Entry  has  issued  a  booklet  on  bookkeeping,  tell- 

ing how  to  do  it.  Its  title  is  "A  Business 
Enterprise,"  and  it  is  a  primer  on  a  simplified  form  of 
double  entry,  compressed  into  twenty-four  pages,  yet 
clearly  and  completely  explaining  the  method  step  by 
step.  The  process  is  so  simple  that  only  one  book  is 
necessary,  a  loose-leaf  book  with  five  indices  marking  off 
as  many  sections,  one  each  for  assets,  liabilities,  income, 
expenses  and  journal.  This,  with  checkbook  and  file 
cases  for  bills  and  correspondence,  is  all  that  is  required 
to  enable  a  man  to  know,  if  he  makes  the  entries  as  in- 
structed, exactly  where  his  business  stands  at  any 
moment. 

"No  merchant  can  be  easy  in  mind  and  fair  to  his 
business  creditors  or  bank,  or  even  to  the  business  pub- 
lic, who  cannot  tell  whether  or  not  his  business  enterprise 
is  making  a  profit,"  says  the  credit  men's  booklet.  "The 
merchant  should  know,  and  not  guess,  that  the  price  at 
which  he  sells  an  article,  or  the  price  at  which  he  con- 
tracts to  do  work,  will  cover:  the  exact  cost  of  the  ar- 
ticle, or  the  exact  cost  of  the  material  and  labor  used  in 
the  contract;  the  proportionate  cost  of  conducting  the 
business  which  the  article  or  contract  should  bear;  with 
a  little  for  his  living;  iand  something  besides.  This  can 
only  be  done  by  keeping  exact  records." 


Better  Bookkeeping  Procedure  29 

The  booklet  closes  by  saying:  "If,  after  reading  this 
story  of  'A  Business  Enterprise/  the  reader  feels  that  he 
is  not  yet  qualified  to  undertake  the  keeping  of  a  simple 
system  of  books,  then  it  is  suggested  that  he  get  in  touch 
with  one  of  the  largest  concerns  from  whom  he  buys 
goods,  or  his  bank,  and  ask  for  help  of  their  business 
service  manager  or  credit  man. 

"In  conclusion,  when  you  have  laid  a  foundation  by 
beginning  the  system  outlined,  faithfully  recording  your 
transactions  from  month  to  month,  your  next  step  will 
be  a  natural  one,  and  will  help  to  preserve  your  invest- 
ments and  your  profits." 

Salesmen  The  successful  salesman  must  not  only 

Should  Know  sell  the  goods  but  he  is  often  required  to 
Accounting  suggest  improvements  in  methods  of 
merchandising,  in  the  advertising,  and  in 
the  accounting  system  used  in  his  customer's  business, 
and  in  his  own  organization.  Therefore,  he  should  be 
familiar  with  the  fundamental  principles  of  all  phases  of 
business. 


CHAPTER  V 


A  Short  Cut  in  Figuring  Profit  on  the  Selling  Price 

When  a  Sales-  In  emphasizing  the  rapid  turnover  for 
man  is  Asked  to  advertised  goods,  at  the  time  of  making 
Figure  Profits  the  sale,  salesmen  are  often  called  on  to 
give  exact  figures  of  profit  on  variable 
vshipments.  Instead  of  an  involved  series  of  calculation, 
simply  divide  the  difference  betw^een  cost  and  selling 
price  by  the  selling  price  and  the  result  v^ill  give  you 
the  gross  margin  of  profit  on  w^hich  business  can  be  ac- 
curately judged. 

Suppose  a  dealer  tells  you,  the  traveling  salesman,  that 
a  competitor  is  giving  him  a  90%  profit  (assuming  that 
this  profit  is  based  upon  the  buying  price).  Now,  if  you 
v^ish  to  shov\r  him  v^hat  the  correct  profit  is  in  this  case, 
add  100%  and  90%  ;  then  190%  equals  the  selling  price ; 
then  divide  .90  by  1.90  and  you  v^ill  have  the  margin  of 
profit  figured  on  the  selling  price.  Thus :  .90  divided 
by  1.90  equals  .4736  or  47.36%,  the  correct  profit. 

Again,  suppose  he  says  the- competitor  gives  him  70% 
profit.  Divide  70  by  170  and  you  get  41%,  the  correct 
ansvv^er.  Similarly,  if  he  says  he  is  getting  60%  profit, 
divide  60  by  160,  etc. 

.  Finally,  suppose  he  comes  at  you  like  this :  My  stock 
pays  me  80%  profit ;  it  cost  me  $8.00  a  dozen  and  I  sell 
it  for  $14.40  a  dozen  or  $1.20  each.  He  thinks  in  this 
instance,  that  he  is  making  80%  profit.  But  you  can  ar- 
rive at  what  he  is  really  making,  as  follows:     Subtract 

30 


Figuring  Profit  on  the  Selling  Price         3.1 

the  $8.00  from  $14.40,  which  gives  you  $6.40  gross  profit. 
Divide  the  $6.40  by  $14.40  which  gives  you  approxi- 
mately .445.  He  makes  441/2%  profit  instead  of  80% 
profit,  as  he  supposes. 

This  problem  has  caused  much  discussion.  The 
trouble  comes  from  the  fact  that  some  accountants  figure 
profit  as  a  percentage  of  the  cost  and  others  as  a  per- 
centage of  the  selRng  price.  Thomas  A.  Fernley  in  a 
little  pamphlet  entitled  "The  Right  Way  to  Figure  Prof- 
its," discusses  this  subject  from  the  standpoint  of  those 
who  believe  that  profits  should  be  calculated  on  the  sell- 
ing price.  There  is  only  one  text  book  we  have  seen 
which  takes  the  other  view,  and  that  is  Bookman's  Arith- 
metic, published  by  the  American  Book  Company.  We 
give  solutions  of  this  problem  based  on  each  of  three 
different  theories. 

1.  Article  costs  $1.00.  Expense  of  handling,  22%; 
profit  required,  10% ;  22%+10%=32%.  32%  of  $1.00 
=32c.    $1.00+32c:=:r$1.32,  selling  price. 

2.  Article  costs  $1.00.  Expense  of  handling,  22%. 
22%  of  $1.00=22c=expense  of  handling.  $1.004-22c 
=$1.22==gross  cost.  10%  of  $1.22==12.2c=10%  profit 
on  gross  cost.  $1.22-|-12.2c=$1.342  or  selling  price. 
Practically  the  goods  would  be  marked  $1.35  by  this  plan. 

3.  Article  costs  $1.00.  Expense  of  handling,  22% 
of  retail  price;  required  profit  10%  of  retail  price. 
22%-]-10%=32%=per  cent  of  retail  price  required  to 
cover  expense  of  handling  and  profit.  100%-32%^= 
68%=per  cent  of  retail  price  represented  by  cost.  That 
is  $1.00=68%   of  selling  price.     Therefore  $1.00-4-.68 


32 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


will  be  the  proper  selling  price.     $1.00-f-.68=$1.47,  the 
price  at  which  the  goods  should  be  marked. 

Proof  of  third  solution.  Marked  price  $1.47.  10% 
of  $1.47=:14.7c  profit.  22%  of  $1.47==:32.3c  expense  of 
handling.     14.7c+32.3cr=47c.     $1 .47— .47=$1 .00, 

The  following  tables,  reprinted  by  permission  from 
"Price  Maintenance"  by  Thomas  A.  Fernley,  are  given 

TABLE  FOR  FINDING  THE  SELLING  PRICE  OF  ANY  ARTICLE 


COST 
TO  DO 

BUSINESS 

1 
NET  PER  CENT  PROFIT  DESIRED                 j 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8|.. 

10 

Jl  »^, 

13 

14 

15 

20 

25 

30 

35 

40 

50 

15% 

84 

83 

82 

81 

80 

79 

78 

77 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

35 

.16% 

83 

82 

81 

80 

79 

78 

77 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

69 

64 

59 

54 

49 

44 

34 

17% 

82 

81 

CD 

79 

7S 

77 

76 

73 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

6> 

63 

63 

53 

53 

48 

43 

33 

18% 

81 

80 

79 

73 

77 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

69 

68 

67 

62 

57 

52 

47 

42 

32 

19% 

80 

79 

73 

77 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

69 

63 

67 

66 

61 

56 

51 

46 

41 

31 

20% 

79 

78 

77 

70 

75 

74 

73 

72 

?1 

70 

69 

68 

67 

66 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

30 

21% 

'73 

77 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

69 

63 

67 

66 

65 

64 

59 

54 

49 

44 

39 

29 

22% 

77 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

69 

68 

67 

66 

65 

64 

63 

58 

53 

48 

4i 

38 

2S 

23% 

76 

75 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

69 

68 

67 

66 

65 

64 

63 

62 

57 

52 

47 

42 

37 

r 

24% 

73 

74 

7,5 

72 

71 

70 

69 

63 

67 

C5 

65 

64 

63 

62 

61 

56 

51 

46 

41 

36 

26 

25% 

74 

73 

72 

71 

70 

C9 

68 

1 

riJ 

66 

65 

64 

63 

62 

61 

60 

55 

50 

45 

•to 

35 

25 

RULE — Divide  the  cost  (invoice  price  with  freight  added)  by  the  figure  in  the 
column  of  "net  rate  per  cent  profit  desired"  on  the  line  with  per  cent  it  costs  you 
to  do  business.  EXAMPLE 

If  a  wagon  costs $60 .  00 

Freight 1 .  20 

$61.20 

You  desire  to  make  a  net  prof  t  of 5  per  cent. 

It  costs  you  to  do  business 19  per  cent. 

Take  the  figures  in  column  5  on  line  with  19  which  is  76. 
76161 .  2000l$80 .  52— the 

—  60  8 selling  price 

400 
380 
200 
152 
The  percentage  of  cost  of  doing  business  and  profit  are  figured  on  selling  price. 

COURTESY  OF  COST  EDUCATIONAL  ASSOClATlOil 


Figuring   Profit  ox  the  Selling  Price 


% 

10% 

n% 

.n 

13% 

14% 

15% 

16% 

17% 

18% 

1'?% 

20% 

21% 

22% 

23% 

24% 

25% 

25 

10 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

00 

iim 

2Lots 

3  Lou 

4LBt 

5Lxs 

331 

15 

14 

13 

12 

11 

10- 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

1 

00 

40 

18  J 

17  i 

16} 

155 

145 

135 

125 

n*, 

10  i 

95 

85 

75 

65 

45 

Si 

50 

23  i 

22  i 

211 

201 

!91 

181 

171 

161 

151 

141 

131 

121 

111 

101 

91 

Si 

60 

275 

26  S 

251 

241 

231 

221 

211 

2a  1 

1)1 

181 

171 

161 

151 

141 

131 

121 

75 

325 

31 J 

305 

295 

285 

275 

265 

25J 

245 

235 

225 

215 

205 

195 

185 

175 

100 

40 

39 

38 

37 

36 

35 

M 

31 

23 

21 

30 

29 

2S 

27 

26 

25 

If  your  cost  of  doing  business  figure  on  sales  is  represented 
by  one  of  the  percentages  in  the  top  row  and  you  mark  your 
goods  at  one  of  the  percentages  in  the  row  to  the  extreme  left 
in  addition  to  the  delivered  cost,  your  net  percentage  of  profit  is 
represented  by  the  figure  at  the  junction  of  the  two  columns. 

Explanation — If  your  cost  of  doing  business  is  15  per  cent  of 
your  gross  sales  and  you  mark  a  line  at  25  per  cent  above  cost, 
your  net  profit  is  5  per  cent  on  sales — as  shown  in  the  diagram. 
If  your  cost  of  doing  business  is  18  per  cent  and  you  mark  a 
line  at  60  per  cent  above  cost,  your  net  profit  is  19^/^  per  cent  on 
sales. 


as  a  quick  and  convenient  method  of  figuring  the  correct 
selling  price  or  of  determining  just  what  the  actual  profits 
are  when  the  selling  price  has  been  calculated  in  the  old 
way. 


34  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


SUMMARY 

The  time  of  guessing  in  business  is  over.  The  shrewd 
business  man  recognizes  the  fact  that  guessing  leads  to 
bankruptcy. 

Lax  methods  lead  toward  failure.  They  produce  dis- 
satisfaction on  the  part  of  the  customer. 

Careful  handling  of  financial  matters  is  one  of  the  pre- 
requisites of  a  prosperous  merchant. 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Give  the  requirements  of  a  manager  for  a  grocery 
store  as  you  would  wish  them. 

2.  What  would  be  your  requirements  of  a  bookkeeper 
for  your  store  ? 

3.  Why  should  all  salesmen  know  something  of  ac- 
counting ? 

4.  Contrast  the  various  ways  of  figuring  profit. 

5.  Which  method  is  most  logical?    Why? 


X 

a 

H 

U 

S 

K 

w 

u 

H 

■ 

^^ 

X 

B 

3 

o 

< 

g 

K 

w 

2 

O 

H 

u 

< 

d) 

g 

u 

2 

U 

)^ 

§ 

(d 

H 

^ 

< 

H 

(3 

2 

s 

> 

^ 

M 

^ 

CHART  VIII.     PSYCHOLOGY  OF  BUSINESS 
36 


CHAPTER  VI 


The  Psychology  of  Business 

He  Was  Rip  Van  Winkle  expressed  much  surprise 

Surprised  when  he  learned  that  he  had  been  asleep 
for  many  years.  Ninety-nine  people  out  of 
a  hundred  might  be  equally  surprised  to  learn  that  early 
in  childhood  they  began  using  the  principles  of  salesman- 
ship and  psycholog}^,  and  employing  appeals  to  instinct, 
habit  and  emotion  in  their  behalf. 

Every  Salesman  Ask  a  group  of  salesmen  if  they  are 
Should  Study  psychologists ;  they  will  probably 
Psychology  tell  you  no,  and  they  would  doubtless 

be  right.  Very  few  people  have  a 
clear  idea  of  what  psychology  is.  Yet,  in  a  certain  way, 
every  person  is  somewhat  of  a  psychologist,  even  though 
he  does  not  realize  it.  He  has  picked  up  a  smattering 
of  psychology  but  knows  none  of  the  laws  or  how  to 
apply  them. 

What  Chance  We  are  all  athletes  in  some  manner  or 
Have  You  degree.     No  one  can  climb  a  flight  of 

fo  Win?  stairs  or  get  over  a  fence  without  being 

more  or  less  an  athlete.  Nevertheless, 
he  who  would  attain  success  as  an  athlete  must  have  his 
muscular  action  under  control.  What  chance  would  you 
have  of  winning  a  fence  jumping  contest  if  you  were  to 
compete  with  a  trained  athlete?  Then  do  3^ou  want  to 
go  into  business  and  compete  with  trained  scientific  busi- 

37 


38  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

ness  psychologists?    That  is  what  you  will  be  obliged  to 
do  when  you  deal  with  expert  salesmen. 

Scientific  Successful   salesmanship  is  based  upon 

Salesmanship  an  understanding  of  the  laws  of  the 
mind.  The  psychology  of  salesmanship 
is  the  psychology  of  leadership.  Knowing  how  to  influ- 
ence people  is  the  chief  element  of  salesmanship.  This 
idea  is  just  beginning  to  be  grasped  by  the  higher  educa- 
tional world.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this 
country  young  students  are  being  taught  how  to  influence 
human  nature.  Every  student  should  take  a  course  in 
salesmanship,  not  merely  to  learn  how  to  sell  but  to 
learn  how  to  lead. 


The  The  average  high  school  or  college  gradu- 

Untrained  ate  who  goes  out  into  life  without  any 
Salesman  knowledge  of  salesmanship  is  temporarily 
at  the  mercy  of  his  environment.  The  un- 
trained salesman  who  tries  to  sell  either  behind  the 
counter  or  on  the  road  Is  very  much  like  an  untrained 
swimmer  who  suddenly  finds  himself  in  water  above  his 
head.  He  doesn't  know  what  to  do  and  what  he  does 
do  in  that  emergency  is  merely  the  result  of  accident,  and 
is  more  likely  to  end  in  failure  than  in  success. 

Every  Person  Every  individual,  as  well  as  every  busi- 

Has  Something      ness  concern,  has  something  to  sell; 
to  Sell  either  ideas,  services  or  products.     A 

stenographer  or  bookkeeper  must  sell 
his  or  her  services  to  the  business  man ;  the  doctor  must 
sell  his  services ;  the  lawyer  must  sell  his  client's  evidence 


The  Psychology  of  Business  39 

to  the  jury;  the  minister  must  sell  his  message  and  his 
program  to  his  congregation;  the  statesman  must  sell 
his  potential  ability  to  the  people  before  he  can  be  elected 
to  office. 

Political  A  prominent  illustration  of  faulty  polit- 

Salesmanship  ical  salesmanship  was  seen  in  the  presi- 
dential campaign  of  1916,  when  Judge 
Charles  S.  Hughes  was  nominated  for  the  presidency. 
The  republicans  of  the  country  had  a  right  to  expect 
that  he  would  be  elected,  because  there  had  been  a  mill- 
ion more  republicans  in  this  country  than  democrats. 
Judge  Hughes  had  the  confidence  of  the  entire  republi- 
can party,  and  that  seemed  to  insure  his  election. 

Similar  In  that  presidential  campaign  there  were 

Qualifications  many  marks  of  similarity  between  Judge 
of  Candidates  Hughes  and  his  opponent,  President 
Wilson.  Both  men  were  the  sons  of 
ministers ;  both  were  college  graduates,  both  were  schol- 
ars, both  had  taught  school,  both  had  been  governors  of 
prominent  states,  while  one  had  just  resigned  as  Judge 
of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  and  the  other  was 
President  of  the  United  States.  Both  men  were  highly 
distinguished  candidates  for  the  Presidency. 

Inadequate  If  when  nominated,  Judge  Hughes  had  de- 
Sales  clared  that  if  victorious  he  would  stand  for 
Strategy  one  hundred  per  cent  Americanism,  and 
give  this  country  the  best  administration  of 
which  he  was  capable,  he  undoubtedly  would  have  been 
elected  without  ever  making  a  speech.  Instead  of  doing 
that,  he  entered  into  a  hot  campaign  attacking  President 


FUNDAMENTAL  LAWS 
OF  HUMAN  NATURE 


What  a  man  does  not 
understand  he  opposes 


You  cannot  antagonize  and 
influence  at  the  same  time 


God  implanted  in  every  heart 
a  desire  to  be  somebody 


A  natural  impulse, 

without  reasoning, 

toward  actions 

essential  to 

existence 
preservation 
development 


Everybody  wants 

maximum  receipts 

for 

minimum  cost 


CHART  IX.     FUNDAMENTAL  LAWS  OF  HUMAN  NATURE 
40 


The  Psychology  of  Business  41 

Wilson's  administration,  and  every  speech  he  made  lost 
him  votes. 

Fundamental  There  was  a  fundamental  reason  back 

Lav^^of  of  Judge  Hughes'  defeat.     He  broke 

Human  Nature  one  of  the  basic  laws  of  human  na- 
ture, and  of  salesmanship,  in  his  cam- 
paign. That  law  is :  You  cannot  antagonize  and  influ- 
ence people  at  the  same  time.  A  similar  analysis  of  the 
presidential  campaign  of  1920  reveals  the  fact  that  the 
result  was  largely  a  reaction  due  to  a  violation  of  this 
law. 

A  Basic  The  salesman  who  devotes  a  large  part 

Principle  in  of  his  selling  talk  to  an  attack  upon  his 
Salesmanship  competitor's  goods  rather  than  to  a  dis- 
cussion of  his  own  proposition  will  not 
succeed.  No  salesman  who  continued  to  disregard  the 
basic  laws  of  human  nature  ever  won  or  held  many 
customers.  Natural  laws  operate  continually,  whether 
you  recognize  the  fact  or  not,  and  you  must  function 
with  them  if  you  are  going  to  win.  H  you  ignore  or 
disregard  human  nature  you  are  doomed  to  failure  in 
business.  The  untrained  salesman  does  not  know  this 
and  he  is  defeated  without  ever  learning  the  cause  of 
his  defeat.  Here  is  where  the  so-called  born  salesman 
is  at  a  disadvantage. 

The  Cost  of        Judge  Hughes  devoted  his  presidential 
Faulty  campaign  in  1916  to  a  condemnation  of 

Salesmanship     President  Wilson  and  his  administration 
policies,   and  said  very  little  about  the 
program  he  would  carry  out  if  elected.     That  wrong 


42  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

sales  strategy  cost  him  the  election  to  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States  in  the  most  momentous  era  in  the 
world's  history.  That  position  carried  with  it  a  salary 
of  $75,000.00  a  year,  besides  greater  power  and  prestige 
then  than  that  possessed  by  any  other  living  ruler.  He 
lost  it  all  because  of  poor  salesmanship,  due  to  a  viola- 
tion of  one  of  the  basic  laws  of  human  nature.  Let  it 
be  clearly  understood  here  that  we  are  discussing  sales- 
manship and  not  statesmanship.  We  are  studying  this 
incident  to  learn  how  people  react  to  ideas  and  to  dis- 
cern the  fundamental  principle  underlying  the  cause  of 
such  reaction. 

Another  Early   in  the   summer   of    1918    President 

Basic  Wilson  made  the  statement  that  "Politics 

Principle  is  adjourned."  The  public  was  very  much 
pleased  and  hoped  that  politics  would  not 
be  mentioned  again  until  the  war  was  over.  Then  late 
in  October  of  the  same  year,  just  before  the  November 
Congressional  election,  President  Wilson  urged  the  vot- 
ers to  return  to  him  a  Democratic  Congress.  Immedi- 
ately a  wave  of  antagonism  swept  over  the  Republicans 
of  the  United  States.  They  remembered  his  statement 
of  a  few  months  before:  ^'Politics  Is  adjourned,"  and 
now  they  looked  upon  his  appeal  as  a  slight  reflection 
upon  their  loyalty  to  the  country  during  the  great  war, 
although  President  Wilson  undoubtedly  did  not  intend 
it  as  such.  This  was  probably  the  most  serious  psycho- 
logical blunder  that  President  Wilson  made  during  his 
two  terms  as  Chief  Executive  of  the  United  States.  It 
was  the  poorest  kind  of  salesmanship,  and  yet  President 
Wilson  had  proved  time  and  again  during  the  great  war 


The  Psychology  of  Business  43 

that  he  was  an  exceedingly  clever  psychologist.  That 
pre-election  demand  hurt  his  own  prestige,  weakened 
the  influence  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  aroused  the 
resentment  of  the  Republican  party. 

Result  of  the  When    President    Wilson    asked    the 

Violation  of  a  public  to  decide  in  his  favor,  he  very 

Basic  Law  of  well  knew  that  there  were  more  Re- 

Human  Nature  publicans  than  Democrats  in  this 
country.  He  should  have  realized 
that  this  action,  following  his  earlier  statement  about 
politics  being  adjourned,  would  stir  up  antagonism.  If 
he  had  not  asked  for  a  Democratic  Congress,  and  a  Re- 
publican Congress  had  been  chosen  it  would  in  no  way 
have  affected  his  prestige,  for  accofding  to  his  earlier 
statement,  he  wanted  a  patriotic  Congress  and  was  not 
interested  In  the  party  to  which  the  members  of  Congress 
belonged.  But  when  he  asked  for  a  decision  contrary 
to  his  original  declaration:  "Politics  is  adjourned,"  the 
people  responded  adversely,  and  that  defeat  seriously 
impaired  his  Influence  at  home  and  abroad.  Eminent 
authorities  stated  that  the  Allies  were  ready  to  hand  over 
the  moral  leadership  of  the  world  to  President  Wilson 
and  the  only  reason  they  did  not  do  so  was  because  his 
own  people  voted  against  him — and  he  invited  their  re- 
pudiation. That  unfortunate  error  was  the  beginning  of 
the  intense  Republican  antagonism  against  him  in  the 
Senate,  which  finally  caused  so  much  trouble  over  the 
League  of  Nations  Peace  Treaty,  and  the  settlement  of 
other  war  Issues.  And  this  trouble,  turmoil  and  delay 
in  our  Congress  caused  anxiety,  grief  and  financial  loss 
to  most  of  the  leading  nations  of  the  world. 


41:  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

The  Basic  President  Wilson  in  this  poHtical  mistake 
Principle  broke  another  fundamental  law  of  sales- 
Violated  manship.  That  law  is :  If  a  salesman  asks 
a  prospective  customer  to  make  a  decision 
before*  he  has  succeeded  in  selling  him  the  proposition 
or  created  a  desire  for  it,  the  prospect  will  give  a  decision 
but  it  will  generally  be  against  the  salesman. 

Secret  of  We  have  shown  that  the  more  important  the 
Success  position  a  man  holds,  the  more  important  it  is 
that  he  should  know  the  psychology  of  sales- 
manship. The  ability  to  influence  people  favorably  is 
one  of  the  great  secrets  of  leadership  and  success.  We 
have  seen  how  two  .prominent  men  came  to  grief  through 
the  use  of  poor  selling  methods.  Let  us  profit  by  such 
mistakes. 

Faulty  Recently  I  walked  up  the  aisle  of  a  big 

Retail  department  store  in  New  York.     I  hap- 

Salesmanship  pened  to  see  a  large  assortment  of  socks 
marked  59  cents  and  I  stopped  to  ex- 
amine them.  No  sooner  had  I  done  so  than  a  clerk 
leaned  over  and  asked:  "Something  for  you?"  He 
forced  me  to  make  a  decision  before  giving  me  any 
reason  for  buying  the  socks.  I  gave  him  the  decision. 
The  decision  was  "No,"  and  I  walked  on.  Had  the  clerk 
waited  until  I  had  examined  the  socks,  and  had  he  sat- 
isfied me  that  they  were  what  I  wanted,  my  answer 
would  probably  have  been  "Yes,"  and  he  would  have 
earned  his  commission  on  that  sale. 


-     The  Psychology  of  Business  45 

Remember     No  expert  salesman  will  ask  a  prospective 
This  customer  to  make  a  purchase  unless  he  is 

Principle  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  that  he  has  al- 
ready convinced  and  succeeded  in  selling 
that  customer.  If  he  does  ask  for  a  decision  before  the 
customer  is  sold,  that  is,  before  the  customer  has  in  his 
ow^n  mind  gone  through  the  mental  steps  of  interest, 
conviction,  desire  and  resolve  to  possess  the  article,  the 
prospect  will  give  the  salesman  a  decision,  but  that  de- 
cision will  almost  always  be  negative. 

The  Instinct      One  fundamental  instinct  of  human  na- 
of  Self-  ture    that    is    possibly    more    important 

Preservation  than  any  other  is  that  of  self  preserva- 
tion. The  salesman  who  understands 
this  feeling  and  knows  how  to  take  advantage  of  it  has 
a  tremendous  advantage  over  the  man  who  knows  little 
or  nothing  about  it. 

Politics  The  late  Mark  Hanna,  a  noted  Ohio  pol- 

Based  Upon  itician,  knew  that  the  impulse  to  fight  for 
Psychology  one's  life  and  the  desire  to  get  something 
for  nothing,  constitute  the  basis  of  two  of 
the  strongest  appeals  to  the  human  heart.  So,  he  made 
the  "Full  Dinner  Pail"  the  ]\IcKinley  campaign  slogan  in 
1896.  The  voter  did  not  stop  to  inquire  how  it  would 
be  filled.  The  idea  appealed  to  his  appetite  and  he  voted 
for  it.  Mr.  Hanna  not  only  held  up  the  full  dinner  pail 
to  induce  men  to  vote  for  it,  but  he  drove  them  to  it  by 
appealing  to  the  instinct  of  fear,  which  is,  of  course, 
closely  connected  with  the  instinct  of  self  preservation. 


4G  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Fear  as  a  Fear  is  a  predominant  negative  human  in- 
Motive  stinct.  Mr.  Hanna  understood  this  and  he 
was  sure  that  the  working  man  would  not 
be  Hkely  to  vote  to  empty  his  dinner  pail,  even  by  so 
much  as  one  slice  of  bread,  if  he  believed  that  voting 
against  McKinley  would  do  it.  There  was  little  reason 
in  this  appeal,  but  Hanna  was  aware  that  he  did  not 
need  any.  He  realized  that  self  preservation  is  the  first 
law  of  life,  and  that  the  voters  were  dominated  by  that 
feeling. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  capitalized  that  fundamental  in- 
stinct when  he  declared  against  the  abuses  of  the  capital- 
istic class  in  the  United  States.  He  knew  he  would  im- 
mediately gain  the  applause  of  the  masses  by  appealing 
to  their  demand  for  self  preservation,  and  the  universal 
desire  for  fair  play.  The  "Square  Deal"  preachment  was 
his  slogan. 

Mental  Learn   a  big    fundamental   lesson    from 

Manipulation  this  principle  and  these  illustrations  from 
prominent  men.  Can't  you  make  an 
effective  appeal  to  some  vital  human  instinct  in  every 
talk  you  make,' in  every  letter  you  send  out  and  in  every 
circular  and  advertisement  you  write?  No  man  will 
ever  learn  all  there  Is  to  be  known  about  salesmanship 
until  he  is  able  to  play  upon  the  key  board  of  human 
instincts  with  as  much  power  and  brilliancy  as  Pader- 
ewski,  when  he  entices  enchanting  music  from  the  ivory 
keys  of  the  piano.  No  matter  how  brainy  a  man  may 
be  or  how  well  educated,  he  will  be  a  failure  as  a  leader 
of  men  unless  he  thoroughly   understands  the   funda- 


The  Psychology  of  Business  47 


mental  human  instincts  and  knows  how  to  so  influence 
them  as  to  induce  action  in  his  behalf. 

Self-  The  Almighty  implanted  in  your  heart  and  in 

Interest     mine  the  desire  to  be  somebody,  to  do  some- 
thing and  to  have  something.     Out  of  that 
comes    what   we   might    call   the    law   of    self   interest, 
another  fundamental  instinct  of  human  nature. 

Put  Prospect's  The  salesman  who  understands  the  law 
Advantage  of  self  interest  analyzes  his  proposition 

First  and  presents  it  entirely  from  the  stand- 

point of  the  advantages  to  the  buyer.  He 
thinks  and  talks  of  nothing  but  the  profits  his  prospect 
will  make.    He  thinks  in  terms  of  you  and  not  /.. 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Define  Psycholog}^    What  is  meant  by  Psychology 
of  Business? 

2.  What    are    the    requirements    of    training    for    a 
doctor?    A  lawyer? 

3.  Contrast  the  possibilities  for  success  of  the  trained 
and  untrained  salesman. 

4.  Just  how  can  salesmanship  be  applied  to  politics  ? 

5.  What  do  vou  understand  bv  human  nature? 


"Instinct  is  a  natural  spontaneous  impulse  or  propensity,  in 
the  lower  animals  or  in  man,  moving  them,  without  reasoning, 
toward  actions  essential  to  their  existence,  preservation,  and 
development;  as  the  instinct  of  self-preservation." 

— Standard  Dictionary. 


Professor  James,  of  Harvard 
University,  names  the  follow- 
ing as  the  common  human 
instincts: 


Imitation 

Rivalry 

Anger 

Resentment 

Sympathy 

Hunting 

Fear 

Acquisitiveness 

Constructiveness 

Play 

Curiosity 

Sociability  and 

Shy^iess 
Secretiveness 
Cleanliness 
Modesty 

and  Shame 
Love 
Jealousy 
Parental  Love 


Professor  Angell,  President  of 
Yale  University,  names  the 
following  as  the  common 
human  instincts: 


Imitation 

Rivalry 

Anger 

Sympathy 

Feaf 

Acquisitiveness 

Constructiveness 

Curiosity 
Sociability 
Shyness 
Secretiveness 

Modesty 

Affection 
Jealousy 
Sexual  Love 
Plan 


Other  authorities  include  the  following  as  common  human  instincts:  Appetite, 
envy,  desire  for  approbation,  duty,  teasing,  fighting,  agriculture,  artistic 
interest,  respect  forothers,  co-operation  with  others,  loyalty  to  group  interest, 
subordination  to  superiors,  morality. 


CHART  Xo    HUMAN  INSTINCTS 

43 


CHAPTER  VII 


Human  Instincts 

Definition  In  order  that  we  may  know  what  human 
of  Instinct  nature  is  Hke  and  how  it  works,  we  must 
analyze  it  and  study  it.  The  following 
human  instincts  should  be  very  carefully  studied.  You 
will  have  to  deal  with  them  all  your  life.  And  you  must 
know  how  to  do  so  successfully  in  order  to  win  success 
yourself.  A  twenty-five  thousand  dollar  a  year  adver- 
tising man  is  a  master  of  these  instincts  and  a  wizard  in 
handling  men.  "The  instinct  of  animals  is  now  held  by 
many  philosophers  to  be  of  the  same  nature  as  the  in- 
tellect of  man,  but  inferior  and  limited ;  yet  the  apparent 
difference  is  very  great.  'An  instinct  is  a  propensity 
prior  to  experience  and  independent  of  instruction.*— 
Parley,  Natural  Philosophy.  In  this  sense  we  speak  of 
human  instincts,  thus  denoting  tendencies  independent 
of  reasoning  or  instruction." — Fernald. 

Another  'Tnstinct  is  usually  defined  as  the  faculty 
Definition  of  acting  in  such  a  way  as  to  produce  cer- 
tain ends,  without  foresight  of  the  ends, 
and  without  previous  education  in  the  performance." — 
Prof.  James. 

How  Instinct  The  late  Professor  James  gives  this 

Reacts  Upon  very  interesting  explanation  of  the 

Man  and  Animals        reaction  of  instincts  in  men  and  in 
animals.     His  entire  discussion  of 
instinct   in   Chapter  24,    Psychology,    Volume   2,    from 

49 


50  Science  and  Art  of  Sklltng 

which  the  following  is  quoted,  is  worthy  of  your  study 
and  thought :  "Every  instinct  is  an  impulse.  Whether 
we  shall  call  such  impulses  as  blushing,  sneezing,  cough- 
ing, smiling,  dodging,  or  keeping  time  to  music,  instincts 
or  not,  is  a  mere  matter  of  terminology.  The  process  is 
the  same  throughout. 

Three  *To  crouch  from  cold  is  a  sensation — • 

Fundamental  impulse;  to  turn  and  follow,  if  we  see 
Impulses  people  running  one  way,  is  a  perception 

— impulse;  to  cast  about  for  cover,  if  it 
begins  to  blow  and  rain,  is  an  imagination — impulse.  A 
complex  instinctive  action  may  involve  successively  the 
awakening  of  impulses  of  all  three  classes. 

Why  Do  Men  ''Why  do  men-  always  lie  down,  when 
Do  These  they  can,   on  soft  beds  rather  than  on 

Things?  hard  floors?     Why  do  they  sit  around 

the  stove  on  a  cold  day?  Why,  in  a 
room,  do  they  place  themselves,  ninety-nine  times  out  of 
a  hundred,  with  their  faces  towards  its  middle  rather 
than  to  the  wall?  Why  do  they  prefer  saddle  of  mutton 
and  coffee  to  hard-tack  and  ditch-water?  Why  does  the 
maiden  interest  the  youth  so  that  everything  about  her 
seems  more  important  and  significant  than  anything  else 
in  the  world?  Nothing  more  can  be  said  than  that  these 
are  human  ways,  and  that  every  creature  likes  its  own 
ways,  and  takes  to  following  them  as  a  matter  of  course. 
Science  may  come  and  consider  these  ways,  and  find 
that  most  of  them  are  useful.  But  it  is  not  for  the  sake 
of  their  utility  that  they  are  followed,  but  because  at  the 
moment  of  following  them  we  feel  that  that  is  the  only 


Human  Instincts  51 

appropriate  and  natural  thing  to  do.  Not  one  man  in  a 
hundred,  when  taking  his  dinner,  ever  thinks  of  utility. 
He  eats  because  the  food  tastes  good  and  makes  him 
want  more.  If  you  ask  him  why  he  should  want  to  eat 
more  of  what  tastes  good,  instead  of  revering  you  as  a 
philosopher  he  will  probably  laugh  at  you  for  a  fool. 
The  connection  between  the  savory  sensation  and  the 
act  it  awakens  is  for  him  absolute  and  of  the  most  per- 
fect sort,  needing  no  proof  but  its  own  evidence.  It 
takes,  in  short,  what  Berkeley  calls  a  mind  debauched  by 
learning  to  carry  the  process  of  making  the  natural  seem 
strange,  so  far  as  to  ask  for  the  why  of  any  instinctive 


What  the  Salesman  It  is  not  so  important  for  the  sales- 
Should  Know  man  to  know  why  a  man  does  cer- 
About  Instincts  tain  instinctive  acts  but  it  is  all 
important  for  the  salesman  and  the 
merchandiser  to  know  what  are  the  instinctive  wants  and 
desires  of  man,  for  it  is  the  salesman's  business  to  sup- 
ply those  wants.  Don't  you  see  how  the  grocery  and 
food  salesman  can  apply  this  knowledge  in  appealing  to 
the  appetizing  Instincts  of  people? 

Continuing  his  discussion  of  Instinct,  Professor  James 
says :  "Man  has  a  far  greater  variety  of  impulses  than 
any  lower  animal ;  and  any  one  of  these  impulses,  taken 
in  Itself,  is  as  'blind'  as  the  lowest  instinct  can  be ;  bvtt, 
owing  to  man's  memory,  power  of  reflection,  and  power 
of  Inference,  they  come  each  one  to  be  felt  by  him,  after 
he  has  once  yielded  to  them  and  experienced  their  results, 
in  connection  with  a  foresight  of  those  results.     In  this 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


condition  an  impulse  acted  out  may  be  said  to  be  obeyed, 
in  part  at  least,  for  the  sake  of  its  results. 

Instinctive  **It  is  plain,  that  no  matter  how  well 

Action  Modified  endowed  an  animal  may  originally  be 
by  Experience  in  the  way  of  instincts,  his  resultant 
actions  will  be  much  modified  if  the 
instincts  combine  with  experience;  if  in  addition  to  im- 
pulses he  have  memories,  associations,  inferences,  and 
expectations,  on  any  considerable  scale." 

Man's  ''With  the  child,  life  is  all  play  and  fairy 

Changing  tales  and  learning  the  external  properties 
Interests  of  'things ;'  with  the  youth,  it  is  bodily  ex- 
ercises of  ^  more  systematic  sort,  novels  of 
the  real  world,  boon-fellowship  and  song,  friendship  and 
love,  nature,  travel  and  adventure,  science  and  philoso- 
phy ;  with  the  man,  ambition  and  policy,  acquisitiveness, 
responsibilty  to  others,  and  the  selfish  zest  of  the  battle 

of  life In  all  pedagogy  the  great  thing  is  to  strike 

the  iron  while  hot,  and  to  seize  the  wave  of  the  pupil's 
interest  in  each  successive  subject  before  its  ebb  has 
come,  so  that  knowledge  may  be  obtained  and  a  habit  of 
skill  acquired — a  headway  of  interest,  in  short,  secured, 
on  which  afterward  the  individual  may  float. 

"There  is  a  happy  moment  for  fixing  skill  in  drawing, 
for  making  boys  collectors  in  natural  history,  and  pres- 
ently dissectors  and  botanists ;  a  time  for  initiating  them 
into  the  harmonies  of  mechanics  and  the  wonders  of 
physical  and  chemical  law.  Later,  introspective  psych- 
ology and  the  metaphysical  and  religious  mysteries  take 


Human  Instincts  53 

their  turn,  and,  last  of  all,  the  drama  of  human  affairs 
and  worldly  wisdom  in  the  widest  sense  of  tlie  term.  In 
each  of  us  a  saturation-point  is  soon  reached  in  all  these 
things;  the  impetus  of  our  purely  intellectual  zeal  ex- 
pires, and  unless  the  topic  be  one  associated  with  some 
urgent  personal  need  that  keeps  our  wits  constantly 
whetted  about  it,  we  settle  into  an  equilibrium,  and  live 
on  what  we  learned  when  our  interest  was  fresh  and 
instinctive,  without  adding  much  to  the  store. 

''Outside  of  their  own  business,  the  ideas  gained  by 
men  before  they  are  tw^enty-five  are  practically  the  only 
ideas  they  shall  have  in  their  lives.  They  do  not  get 
much  that  is  new.  Disinterested  curiosity  is  past,  the 
mental  grooves  and  channels  set,  the  power  of  assimila- 
tion gone.  If  by  chance  we  ever  do  learn  anything  about 
some  entirely  new  topic  we  are  afflicted  with  a  strange 
sense  of  insecurity,  and  we  fear  to  advance  a  resolute 
opinion.  But,  with  the  things  learned  in  the  plastic  days 
of  instinctive  curiosity  we  never  entirely  lose  our  sense 
of  being  at  home.  There  remains  a  kinship,  a  sentiment 
of  intimate  acquaintance,  which,  even  when  we  know  we 
have  failed  to  keep  abreast  of  the  subject,  flatters  us 
with  a  sense  of  power  over  it,  and  makes  us  feel  not 
altogether  out  of  the  pale.  Whatever  individual  except- 
ions might  be  cited  to  this  are  of  the  sort  that  'prove  the 
rule.' " 

Suppose  you  were  going  to  sell  a  proposition  adapted 
to  children  of  five,  ten  and  fifteen  years  of  age.  Sup- 
pose you  wanted  to  interest  young  men  and  women  un- 
der twenty-five.  Do  you  recognize  the  difference  in  in- 
stincts between  children  and  young  people  ?    Would  you 


64  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

know  how  to  make  your  appeal  ?  With  this  idea  in  mind, 
go  back  and  study  James'  quotation  over  again  very 
carefully  and  see  how  much  more  you  will  get  out  of  it. 

Prominent  The  following  list  of  human  instincts  and 
Human  their  psychological  reaction  on  men  is  taken 

Instincts  from  a  prominent  work  on  psychology  by 
Professor  James  B.  Angell,  formerly  head 
of  the  Department  of  Psychology,  Chicago  University. 
The  Important  human  instincts  he  names  are:  "Fear, 
anger,  shyness,  curiosity,  affection,  sexual  love,  jealousy 
and  envy,  rivalry,  sociability,  sympathy,  modesty,  plan, 
imitation,  constructiveness,  secretiveness,  and  acquisi' 
tiveneFs."    Professor  Angell  explains  them  as  follows : 

"Curiosity  Is  simply  another  name  for  interest.  Curi- 
osity is  the  racial  instinct  to  which  our  sedate  citizen  is 
yielding. 

"Many  persons  feel  an  ineradicable  impulse  to  conceal 
their  plans,  their  actions  and  their  character  behind  a 
screen  of  noncommittal  silence  and  reserve.  But  this  is 
temperamental  and  may  be  felt  in  the  absence  of  all  ex- 
plicit justification.  Acquisitiveness  is  selfishness ;  the 
impulse  to  'get  and  hold.'  Here  is  where  the  self  inter- 
est appeal  Is  effective. 

"Rivalry  is  closely  allied  with  emulation,  and  runs  to 
excess  in  anger,  hate,  jealousy  and  envy.  Its  stimulus 
is  found  in  the  successful  achievement  of  any  one  coming 
within  our  social  circle,  by  virtue  of  which  we  are  likely 
to  be  relegated  to  an  inferior  position."  The  appeal  to  the 
spirit  of  rivalry  is  always  effective  in  a  contest.  Men 
will  work  twice  as  hard  in  a  contest  as  they  will  when 


Human  Instincts 


there  is  no  spirit  of  rivalry.     For  this  reason  sales  or- 
ganizations offer  a  great  many  prizes. 

"Envy  is  generally  applied  to  our  covetousness  of  the 
prosperity  or  possession  of  others.  This  covetousness  is 
often  accompanied  as  in  jealousy,  by  more  or  less  malig- 
nity. Jealousy  we  commonly  apply  to  a  similar  feeling 
toward  persons  who  are  our  supposed  rivals,  whether 
actually  successful  or  simply  feared.  Its  characteristic 
expressions  are  similar  to  those  of  anger  and  hatred,  but 
commonly  occur  in  milder  form. 

"Adult  constructiveness  is  exercised  under  the  stress 
of  fear,  pride,  or  similar  emotions.'*  The  instinct  of 
pride  has  been  strong  enough  to  keep  thousands  of  men 
fighting  to  the  limit  of  their  endurance.  They  simply 
could  not  endure  the  disgrace  of  failure. 

Applied  The  salesman  who  attempts  to  awaken  in- 

Psychology  terest  and  arouse  emotions  in  his  prospect- 
ive customers  will  be  greatly  assisted  by 
understanding  the  origin,  nature  and  significance  of  these 
human  instincts,  and  the  part  they  play  in  influencing 
the  mental  processes  and  actions  of  men.  Make  a  care- 
ful study  of  all  the  fundamental  impulses  as  you  see 
them  in  yourself  and  your  fellow-men  about  you  every 
day.  Study  sales  letters  and  advertisements  and  learn 
how  the  great  advertising  leaders  profit  by  a  knowledge 
of  human  instincts.  Observe,  analyze,  study,  and  it  will 
profit  you  greatly. 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Define  Instinct.     Impulse. 

2.  How  does  knowledge  of  instinct  aid  the  salesman? 

3.  How  does  experience  offset  instinct? 

4.  Make  a  list  of  prominent  human  instincts. 

5.  How   may   the   emphasis    of   natural    instincts    in 
childhood  be  of  benefit  to  the  mature  individual? 

6.  Name  some  games  of  childhood  that  are  strong  in- 
dications of  instinct. 


[    EMOTIONS    I 


Emotional  expressions  and  instinctive 
reactions  shade  into  each  other 


Emotion  and  Instinct 

are  both 

Psycho-physical 

Processes 


Emotional 

Appeals  Excite 

Action 


Thought  +  Feeling  =»  Action 


CHART  XI.      EMOTIONS 

58 


CHAPTER  VIII 


The  Emotions 

Definitions  The  good  salesman  always  gives  his  evi- 

of  Emotions  dence  first — he  proves  the  value  of  his 
proposition.  Then  he  creates  desire  by 
appealing  to  the  emotions.  The  chapter  on  desire  in  the 
mental  law  of  sale  will  show  you  how  this  is  done.  "An 
emotion  is  any  strong  movement  or  perturbation  of  the 
conscious  mind;  an  act  or  state  of  excited  feelings;  as 
emotions  of  fear.  The  same  mental  condition  may  be 
spoken  of  as  ....  or  desire  when  regarded  as  involving 
craving  and  tendency  to  excite  the  will." 

Standard  Diet. 

Another  "Instinctive  reactions  and  emotional  ex- 
Definition  pressions  shade  imperceptibly  into  each 
other.  Every  object  that  excites  an  instinct 
excites  an  emotion  as  well.  Emotions,  however,  fall 
short  of  instincts,  in  that  the  emotional  reaction  usually 
terminates  in  the  subject's  own  body  whilst  the  instinct- 
ive reaction  is  apt  to  go  further  and  enter  into  practical 
relations  with  the  exciting  body.  In  speaking  of  the  in- 
stincts it  has  been  impossible  to  keep  them  separate  from 
the  emotional  excitements  which  go  with  them." 

No  Limit  to        "There  is  no  limit  to  the  number  of  pos- 
Number  of  sible  emotions  which  may  exist,  and  the 

Emotions  emotions    of    different    individuals    may 

vary  indefinitely  ....  If  one  should  seek 
to  name  each  particular  one  of  them  of  which  the  human 

59 


60  Science  and  Art  of  Sellin(] 

heart  is  the  seat,  it  is  plain  that  the  limit  to  their  number 
woiild  lie  in  the  introspective  vocabulary  of  the  seeker." 
Prof.  James. 

Emotional  In  addition  to  a  knowledge  of  the  fun- 

Appeals  Excite  damental  instincts  of  human  nature 
Action  the  successful  salesman  must  be  famil- 

iar with  the  emotional  appeals  that 
excite  action.  This  is  a  vital  subject  in  itself  and  will 
be  more  fully  explained  in  connection  with  the  Mental 
Law  of  Sale,  in  a  later  chapter  in  this  book. 

The  Impulse  Professor  Angell  says :  'Tmpulse  as  a 
to  Act  mental  affair  may  be  defined  broadly  as 

the  consciousness  of  tendency  to  move- 
ment. The  disposition  to  movement  is  instigated  by  some 
stimulus."  From  that  the  principle  for  the  salesman  to 
remember  is  this:  Thought  plus  feeling,  or  emotion, 
equals  action.  That  is  to  say,  to  get  action  on  the  part 
of  his  prospect  the  salesman  must  not  only  appeal  to  the 
intellect,  but  at  the  psychological  moment — the  zero 
minute — he  must  appeal  to  some  motive  in  order  to  get 
action — the  signed  order.  See  page  KO,  Personal 
Efficiency.  He  must  also  use  the  language  of  appeal,  the 
language  that  tends  to  incite  the  human  mind  to  action. 
There  is  a  vital  difference  between  the  language  of  litera- 
ture and  the  language  of  salesmanship.  The  language  of 
literature  is  used  for  the  purpose  of  description,  enter- 
tainment or  instruction,  while  the  language  of  salesman- 
ship is  the  language  of  action. 


Tup:  Emotions  01 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Define  emotion. 

2.  Contrast  emotion  and  instinct. 

3.  What  can  you  say  as  to  the  number  of  emotions 
that  we  have? 

4.  How  do  actors  and  orators  make  use  of  this  fac- 
tor? 


5.     Does^emotion  always  excite  action? 


FIVE   SENSES 


j/^         NO  IMPRESSION  X. 

<^CAN  ENTER  THE  MIND  EXCEPT  ^ 

N.      THROUGH  THE  SENSES     y^ 


APPEAL  THROUGH 

AS  MANY  SENSES 

AS  POSSIBLE 


TASTE 


SMELL 


MIND 


CHART  XII.     FIVE  SENSES 


6i 


CHAPTER  IX 


,    The  Five  Senses 

The  Five        The  five  senses ;  seeing,  hearing,  smelling, 
Senses  taste  and  touch,  must  be  studied  in  order  to 

increase  your  efficiency  and  earning  power 
as  a  salesman. 

A  Salesman's      Your  method  as  a  salesman  will  be  to 
Most  Vital  convey  thought,  arouse  feeling  and  pro- 

Work  voke  action.     The  only  possible  way  you 

can  reach  and  influence  your  prospect  is 
through  the  senses.  There  is  no  secret  "back  door"  by 
which  you  may  invade  and  control  a  human  personality. 

Importance         The  intellect,  memory  and  imagination 
of  the  are  limited  to  the  experience  and  sensa- 

Five  Senses         tions  that  have  been  acquired  in  the  way 
indicated. 

Thoughts  and  ideas  evolved  by  the  mind  often  appear 
entirely  new;  but  at  best  they  are  the  product  of  im- 
pressions, facts  and  ideas,  taken  in  by  way  of  the  senses, 
which  have  beqn  created  by  the  mysterious  psychic  power 
inherent  in  the  brain. 

Cultivate  You  should  realize  how  imperative  it  is 

Your  for  you  to  learn  all  about  the  five  royal 

Five  Senses         highways  to  the  intellect,  both  in  your- 
self and  in  others. 

63 


64  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

THE  EYE  APPEAL 

Appeal  to  An  eminent  authority  states  that  there  are 
the  Eye  twenty-three  nerves  leading  from  tlie  eye  to 

the  brain  to  every  nerve 'leading  from  the 
ear  to  the  brain.  The  greatest  sales  organization  in 
America  never  makes  an  appeal  to  the  ear  through  speech, 
without  accompanying  it  with  a  similar  appeal  to  the 
eye,  by  picturing  the  idea.  In  fact,  whenever  possible 
they  build  their  salesmanship  around  an  appeal  to  the 
eye,  and  use  the  voice  for  making  suggestions  and  e>;- 
planations. 

The  Window  The  eye  has  aptly  been  called  "The  win- 
of  the  dow  of  the  soul."     It  is  a  camera  of  the 

Soul  highest  grade.     It  records  more  impres- 

sions in  one  day  than  all  the  photog- 
raphers in  the  United  States  can  take  in  years,  and  it  does 
its  work  more  accurately.  All  these  pictures  are  images 
of  objects,  and  are  the  stuff  out  of  which  ideas  are 
made.  Emerson  says  we  get  nine-tenths  of  our  educa- 
tion through  the  eye.  (See  Personal  Efficiency,  pages 
198-200.) 

Study  Your  The  eye  must  be  judged  by  its  size,  form, 
Customer's  color  and  clearness.  The  distance  the 
Eyes  eyes  are  set   apart  and  their  expression 

must  be  noted.  Be  sure  that  your  pros- 
pect actually  sees  the  object  you  are  showing  him.  Men 
oiten  look  directly  at  a  thing  but  because  the  brain  is  so 
engrossed  with  other  thoughts  it  makes  no  impression 
on  the  mind.     Therefore,  test  your  customer's  attention 


TiTK  Five  Senses  05 


frequently  by  asking  questions  that  you  know  will  indi- 
cate whether  or  not  he  is  grasping  the  points  you  are 
making  and  your  questions  should  be  so  stated  that  the 
customer's  answers  will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  impres- 
sion that  you  have  been  making  on  his  brain. 

What  the  Eye  "The  large  eye  is  telescopic  and  sees 
Tells  You  About  big  things.  It  has  sweep  of  vision. 
Character  The  small  eye  is  microscopic  and  sees 

details.  It  is  best  at  short  range,  and 
most  competent  in  getting  minute  observational  values. 
Eyes  set  apart,  either  large  or  small,  indicate  perception 
of  form  and  structure,  and  usually  go  with  breadth  of 
mind.  Eyes  set  close  together,  hugging  up  to  the  nose 
show  a  lack  of  perception  of  form,  structure  and  broad- 
mindedness.  The  grey  eye  stands  for  coolness,  critical 
judgment  and  intelligence.  The  blue  eye  denotes  emo- 
tion. The  dark  or  black  eye  indicates  passion  and  power. 
The  dark-brown  eye  predicates  love  and  affection.  The 
light  brown  is  the  eye  of  friendliness  and  sometimes  of 
temper.  Yellow  colored  eyes  go  with  lust  for  blood  and 
are  found  in  tigers  and  vicious  people.  The  hazel  eye 
craves  and  gives  sympathy.  The  yellow  or  green  eye  on 
the  other  hand  is  hypnotic.  A  clear  eye  denotes  health. 
A  fishy  eye  denotes  moral  disease.  The  open  eye  indi- 
cates frankness.  The  almost  closed  eye  goes  with  cun- 
ning. Full  eyes,  protruding  with  baggy  appearance  un- 
derneath, denote  verbal  memory,  talking  power  and  ora- 
tory. So  the  revelations  of  the  eye  bespeak  most  of  the 
emotional  states." — The  Science  of  Judging  Men,  Mor- 
rell. 


66  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Please  the  Eye  In  selling  merchandise,  a  strong,  attract- 
ive appeal  should  be  made  to  the  eye. 
The  wares  displayed  must  be  clean  and  well  arranged 
for  display.  Study  the  displays  in  windows  of  stores  on 
the  principal  shopping  streets  in  any  city  and  note  the 
infinite  care  that  is  given  to  this  feature  of  merchandis- 
ing. Such  concerns  scU  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of 
merchandise  through  the  appeal  made  by  their  mute 
window  salesmen.  See  Personal  Emciency,  pages  199, 
25  and  169. 

THE  EAR  APPEAL 

Develop  a  If  you  expect  maximum  pay  as  a  salesman 
Pleasing  you  must  train  your  voice.  These  are  the 
Voice  important   qualities   to   be  developed:     A 

rich,  refined,  deep  and  well  modulated  tone  ; 
and  a  full,  distinct  articulation.  A  course  of  training 
in  singing  from  an  expert  vocalist  or  from  a  teacher  of 
oratory  is  a  very  profitable  investment  for  any  person 
who  wishes  to  be  a  successful  salesman.  An  instructor 
in  expression  will  drill  you  in  the  principles  of  correct 
breathing,  the  management  of  your  speaking  voice,  and 
the  right  use  of  tones.  A  course  in  public  speaking  will 
aid  you  in  presenting  your,  ideas  eiTectively.  Many  a 
well  equipped  salesman  fails  or  makes  little  progress  be- 
cause he  has  never  learned  to  talk  with  ease  and  fluency. 
Lame,  hesitating,  poverty-stricken  speech  is  fatal.  "The 
ability  to  talk  well  is  to  a  man  what  cutting  and  polishing 
are  to  the  rough  diamond.  The  grinding  does  not  add 
anything  to  the  diamond.  It  merely  reveals  its  wealth." 
Marden.     See  Personal  Efficiency,  page  202. 


The  Five  Senses  67 


Language  The  salesman  must  study  his  language  so 
that  errors  of  grammar,  slang  or  misused 
words  will  not  creep  in  and  offend  the  ear  of  his  pros- 
pective customer.  To  be  a  good  conversationalist,  able 
to  interest  people,  to  rivet  their  attention,  and  to  draw 
them  to  you  naturally,  is  to  be  the  possessor  of  a  very 
great  and  valuable  money-making  power.  It  opens  doors 
and  often  hearts.  It  helps  you  marvelously  to  get  on  in 
the  world. 


Sound  Appeal    People  do  not  like  noisy  machines.     If 
to  the  Ear  you  are  selling  a  typewriter,  a  vacuum 

cleaner,  a  sewing  machine  or  a  washing 
machine  remember  that  any  offensive  sounds  made  by  it 
are  likely  to  hinder  sales.  The  officers  of  The  Stenotype 
Company  spent  more  than  $200,000.00  to  make  a  few 
mechanical  changes  that  would  make  the  stenotype  prac- 
tically noiseless.  Automobile  concerns  are  spending 
millions  of  dollars  to  eliminate  a  slight  vibration  in  their 
engines.  You  must  exercise  your  own  sense  of  hearing, 
so  that  nothing  important  that  is  said  to  you  will  escape 
attention.  If  you  are  selling  musical  instruments  the 
music  produced  is  the  element  of  supreme  importance. 
Study  the  demonstration  methods  of  the  leading  phono- 
graph companies.  You  can  visit  a  phonograph  demon-, 
stration  room  in  nearly  any  town,  and  in  every  city  in 
the  United  States.  Conan  Doyle's  description  of  the 
baying  of  a  hound  in  "The  Hound  of  the  Baskervilles,*' 
reveals  a  power  of  observation  that  Is  almost  supernat- 
ural. 


ns  Science  and  Art  of  Relung 


THE  APPEAL  TO  SENSE  OF  SMELL 

Importance  of  You  may  think  that  the  sense  of  smell 
Sense  of  Smell  has  not  much  to  do  with  salesmanship, 
to  the  Salesman  but  it  has,  especially  in  the  sale  of  per- 
fumes, flowers,  some  drugs,  groceries 
and  food  stuffs,  high-grade  toilet  soaps  and  numerous 
other  articles.  Oliver  Wendel  Plolmes  says:  "Smell  is 
not  so  important  as  the  other  senses,  but  it  is  the  sense 
that  most  powerfully  appeals  to  the  memory."  For  a 
man's  clothing  or  his  breath  to  reek  of  some  obnoxious 
odor,  whether  it  is  of  tobacco  or  catarrh,  or  anything 
else  objectionable,  is  very  damaging  to  his  personal  in- 
fluence.   See  Personal  Efficiency,  page  202. 

SENSE  OF  TASTE 

Use  of  the  If    you    are    selling    food    products. 

Sense  of  Taste  drinks,  candies,  or  anything  that  is 
edible,  use  every  opportunity  you  can 
to  appeal  through  the  sense  of  taste.  When  you  have 
an  opportunity  to  visit  a  Food  Show  do  not  pass  it  by. 
Go  and  study  the  various  methods  employed  by  concerns 
promoting  new  food  stuffs  or  new  drinks.  When  you 
are  selling  an  article  that  enables  you  to  enlist  both  taste 
and  smell  you  should  be  quick  to  make  the  double  appeal. 

SENSE  OF  TOUCH 

Touch  The  sense  of  touch  is  a  very  vital  one  to  the 
expert  salesman.  You  have  probably  wit- 
nessed the  delicate  sensitiveness  possessed  by  some  blind 
people.  Those  who  can  see  do  not  depend  so  much  upon 
their  sense  of  touch  as  they  do  upon  their  sense  of  sight ; 


The  Five  Senses  ('»*^ 


but  nevertheless,  if  your  article  is  such  that  the  prospect- 
ive purchaser  can  feel,  handle  or  operate  it,  by  all  means 
induce  him  to  do  so  at  the  opportune  time.  By  so  doing 
you  are  sure  to  convey  a  definite  message  to  his  brain. 

An  expert  clothing  salesman  or  shoe  salesman  always 
asks  you  to  try  on  the  article  he  is  selling.  The  expert 
automobile  salesman  will  first  give  you  a  ride  in  his  car 
and  then  at  the  proper  psychological  moment  he  will 
suggest  that  you  take  the  wheel.  The  specialty  salesman 
will  offer  you  the  opportunity  to  try  out  his  machine 
sometime  during  his  demonstration.  Definite  methods 
incorporating  the  sense  of  touch  will  be  explained  in  the 
chapters  on  Retail  Salesmanship  and  also  on  Specialty 
Salesmanship. 


Character  in  By  the  way  in  which  you  shake  hands 

Handshaking  with  a  man,  if  he  knows  the  funda- 

mental principles  of  character  in 
handshaking,  he  is  able  to  judge  correctly  of  your 
character,  trustworthiness  and  aptitudes.  And  it  will  be 
useless  for  you  to  unlearn  your  method  and  adopt 
another;  for  keen  observation  of  other  ways  of  yours 
will  enable  him  to  uncover  your  deception.  This  is  one 
of  the  points  given  to  salesmen  by  Dr.  Charles  F.  Boger, 
director  of  personnel  of  the  Electric  Vacuum  Cleaner 
Company,  Cleveland,  to  enable  them  to  judge  their  "pros- 
pects." We  quote  so  much  of  his  article  on  "Sizing  Up 
Your  Man,"  contributed  to  Electrical  Merchandising 
(New  York),  as  pertains  to  the  various  types  of  hand- 


70 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


shake  and  their  respective  significances  as  understood  by 
Dr.  Boger.    He  writes : 

Personal  "The  first  natural  step  is  to  shake  hands 

Mannerisms  ....  To  the  observant  eye,  it  v^ill  be  seen 
that  personal  mannerisms  in  this  regard 
may  be  divided  into  five  classes,  all  others  being  a  mod- 
ification or  combination  of  any  one  of  the  five.  We  find 
the  friendly,  viselike  grip;  the  listless  or  indifferent 
shake  of  the  hand ;  the  half -imposed  shake,  shaking  hands 
v^ith  the  finger-tips,  and  the  closed  fist  v^hen  the  owner 
is  engaged  in  conversation.  They  may  be  briefly  set 
down  in  this  order  with  the  accompanying  rules. 


Friendly  Handshake 
genial  companion. 


'The  man  who,  when 
handshaking,  gives  a 
full  hand  and  presses 
his  thumb  against  the 
back  of  your  hand,  is 
social,  liberal  and  a  con- 


"The  man  who  does  not 
press  his  thumb  against 
the  back  of  your  hand 
when  shaking  hands  is 
thrifty  and  economical 
to  a  fault;  he  is  nig- 
gardly, almost  miserly,  and  hence  a  poor  associate  in 
revelry  and  amusement.  Notice,  also,  that  the  higher  he 
holds  his  thumb  the  stingier  he  is. 


Economical 


The  Five  Senses  71 

'The  man  who  offers 
the  tips  of  his  fingers  is 
sly,  secretive  and  cun- 
ning. He  may  abound 
in  polish  and  smooth- 
Secretive  ness,  but  not  in  truthful- 
ness.   You  would  do  well  not  to  trust  him. 

Indifferent  "A  person  who  gives  you  his  hand  as 

Handshake  though  he  was  laying  a  piece  of  wood  or 
brick  in  it  is  noted  for  his  lack  of  force 
and  indifference  to  society  in  general.  Such  a  character 
lacks  refinement,  and,  while  he  may  be  honest  in  intent, 
he  may  be  easily  led  and  imposed  upon  by  others. 

The  Closed    "This   may  ofttimes  be  witnessed  on  the 
Fist  stump  and  in  public  lectures.    Upon  investi- 

gation you  will  invariably  find  that  the  man 
who  talks  with  his  hands  closed  in  the  form  of  a  fist  is 
insincere  and  given  to  exaggeration. 

Modification       ''Modification  of  these  types,  in  a  less  or 
of  Types  greater  degree,  will  bear  relative  propor- 

tion in  these  propensities  which  they  sig- 
nify. You  may  ask,  granting  what  you  say  is  true,  would 
it  not  be  an  easy  matter  to  cultivate  a  straight-from-the- 
shoulder  handshake,  thereby  frustrating  your  rule? 
That  may  be  true,  but  the  nature  of  the  individual,  de- 
spite all  that  culture  and  education  can  do,  will  not  pre- 
vent the  skillful  observer  from  detecting  the  sham  prac- 
ticed. 


SCTENCR  AND  AwT  OF  Sl^LLTNG 


Harmony  of       "Then,  again,  although  a  man  may  alter 
Features  his  handshake  and  affect  an  honest,  soc- 

ial grasp  of  hand,  it  is  beyond  his  power 
to  transform  his  features,  i.  e.,  eyes,  nose,  lips  and  the 
general  outline  of  his  face  and  head.  Therefore,  since 
there  exists  a  perfect  harmony  between  the  different 
parts  of  man,  it  would  be  useless  for  one  to  conceal  his 
characteristics  beneath  the  cloak  of  an  assumed  hand- 
shake, because  they  would  only  be  detected  through  the 
remaining  mediums." 

Selling  Man  possesses  a  total  of  five  senses  through 

Through  which  you  can  register  an  impression  on  his 
the  Senses  brain.  If,- when  you  attempt  to  sell  a  pros- 
pective customer  you  approach  his  brain 
through  all  of  his  senses,  you  have  made  a  100%  mental 
approach,  haven't  you?  Then  if  you  register  an  ap- 
proach through  four  of  his  senses  you  have  made  an  80% 
approach;  if  you  register  an  approach  through  three  of 
his  senses  you  have  made  a  60%  approach ;  if  you  regis- 
ter an  approach  through  two  of  his  senses  you  have  made 
a  40%  approach,  and  if  you  register  an  approach  through 
only  one  of  his  senses  you  have  made  only  a  20%  ap- 
proach. 

Illustration  Now,  if  you  are  selling  fruit,  for  example, 
of  Appeals  you  have  the  opportunity  to  appeal  to  your 
to  Senses  prospective  customer  through  all  his  five 
senses;  sight,  smell,  taste,  touch  and  hear- 
ing, a  100%  efficient  mental  approach.  If  you  are  selling 
soap  you  can  appeal  through  only  four  senses;  sight, 
smell,  touch  and  hearing,  an  80%  efficient  approach.    If 


The  Five  Senses 


you  are  selling  a  typewriter  you  can  appeal  through  only 
three  senses;  sight,  touch  and  hearing,  a  60%  efficient 
approach.  If  you  are  selling  a  book  you  can  appeal 
through  only  two  senses ;  sight  and  hearing,  a  40%  effic- 
ient approach.  If  you  are  selling  an  idea,  without  illus- 
tration or  model,  you  can  appeal  through  only  one  sense  ; 
hearing,  a  20%  efficient  approach.  Or  if  you  are  selling 
by  letter  or  advertisement  you  can  appeal  through  only 
one  sense ;  sight,  a  20%  efficient  approach. 

Appeal  Through  Therefore,  when  you  try  to  convey  an 
as  Many  Senses  idea  to  the  brain  through  the  ear 
as  Possible  alone,  you  are  only  20%  efficient  in 

your  avenue  of  approach ;  the  avenue 
through  which  you  must  impress  the  brain.  That  is  one 
of  the  fundamental  reasons  why  it  is  much  more  difficult 
to  sell  an  idea  than  it  is  to  sell  an  edible  fruit,  and  why 
you  should  bring  to  your  assistance  appeals  through  as 
many  senses  as  your  proposition  will  permit. 

Teaching  The  average  teacher  of  typewriting  mahcs 
Through  use  of  only  two  mind  approaches  at  once; 
the  Senses  sight  and  touch,  or  hearing  and  touch, 
while  instructing  her  students.  Miss  Emma 
B.  Dearborn,  of  Columbia  University,  has  demonstrated 
repeatedly  in  various  sections  of  the  United  States  that 
the  efficiency  of  typewriting  instruction  can  be  increased 
more  than  100%  by  approaching  the  students'  minds 
through  three  senses  at  once ;  sight,  hearing  and  touch. 

It  is  hardly  needful  to  say  that  in  modern  primary 
education,  in  which  the  blackboard  is  so  much  used,  the 


74  Science  and  Art  of  Sellini] 

children   are   taught   their   letters,    etc.,   by   all    possible 
channels  at  once ;  sight,  hearing  and  movement. 

A  Vital  Lesson       Your  own  experience  in  the  field  of 
for  the  selling  will  soon  prove  to  you  the  im- 

Salesman  portance  of  appealing  to  your  pros- 

pective customer  through  as  many 
senses  at  once  as  possible.  It  will  pay  you  well  to  under- 
stand thoroughly  the  various  methods  of  appealing  to  the 
brain  through  the  five  senses. 


Q  UESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Name  the  five  senses. 

2.  Why  should  a  salesman  study  his  customer's  eyes? 

3.  What  are  some  of  the  things  that  attract  through 
the  ear?    Nose? 

4.  Demonstrate  in  class  the  various  kinds  of  hand- 
shake, and  tell  how  each  is  interpreted. 

5.  Give  some  personal  experiences,  whereby  you  have 
bought  or  sold  through  the  use  of  one  or  more  of  the  five 
senses. 

6.  Which  sense  do  you  consider  the  most  important 
in  appeaUng  to  the  prospect? 


WHY 
SALESMANSHIP  HAS  DEVELOPED  SO  SLOWLY 


4%  OF  THE  MEN  DO  95% 

of  the 

Thinking,  Planning  and  Managing 

in  this  Country 


50%  OF  OUR  POPULATION 

ARE  WOMEN,  CHILDRKN  AND 

MEN  WHO  EARN  NOTHING 


46%  of  Our  Population 
are  Workers  Who  Earn 
Less  Than  $2,500  a  Year 


U.  S.  Pop  ulation 


4%  OF  OUR  POPULATION 

ARE  THINKERS  AND 

MANAGERS 


Only  1%  Earn 

More  Than 

$7,000  a  Year 


50% 


1  46% 


4%, 


Non-Producers 


SALESMANSHIP  IS  BASED  UPON  A 
KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  LAWS  WHICH  GOVERN 
THE  ACTIONS  AND  FUNCTIONS  OF  THE  MIND 


Business  education  is  in  a  Formulative 

period.     Business  will  be  revolutionized 

when  men  master  principles 


The  mind  is  intangible,  unseen,  and 

therefore,  by  the  majority 

supposedly  unknowable 


Slow  Development 

of 

Scientific  Salesmanship 


CHART  XIII.      WHY  SALESMANSHIP  HAS  DEVELOPED  SO  SLOWLY 


PART  II 

Basic  Principles  of  Salesmanship 
CHAPTER  X 


Why  Salesmanship  Has  Developed  So  Slowly 

Few  Roger  Babson,  the  world  renowned  statis- 

Thinkers        tician,  says  that  four  per  cent  of  the  men 
of  the  United  States  do  ninety-five  p^r  cent 
of  the  thinking,  planning  and  managing  for  the  country. 

Educational        The  business  educational  problem  of  the 
Problem  country  is  to  raise  this  four  per  cent  to 

ten,  fifteen  or  twenty  per  cent.  But  this 
will  never  be  done  until  we  find  out  what  is  wrong.  In 
other  words,  we  must  learn  why  only  four  per  cent  are 
doing  the  thinking,  planning  and  managing.  After  learn- 
ing what  is  wrong  we  can  then  work  out  a  remedy. 

Little  We  are  safe  in  saying  that  in  round  num- 

Business  bers  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  grown-up 
Education  men  of  this  country  left  school  without  any 
knowledge  of  salesmanship  and  little  knowl- 
edge of  business,  as  far  as  business  education  is  con- 
cerned. We  are  quite  safe  in  saying  that  ninety-seven 
per  cent  or  ninety-eight  per  cent  of  the  mature  men  of 
this  country  left  school  with  practically  no  business  edu- 
cation whatsoever;  ninety-six  per  cent  left  school  without 
even  graduating  from  high  school,  and  the  high  school  of 
a  few  years  ago  had  no  Commercial  Department. 

77 


78  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Little  Of    course,    the    private    commercial 

Preparation  schools  of  the  country  have  done  some 

for  Leadership  splendid  commercial  educational  work, 
but  until  recent  years  it  has  been  de- 
voted entirely  to  preparing  young  men  and  women  to  be 
bookkeepers,  stenographers  and  business  clerks.  That 
work  alone  did  very  little  to  equip  these  young  people 
for  positions  of  business  leadership  and  management. 

Growth  of  The  teaching  of  salesmanship  has  now  be- 
Business  come  almost  universal  in  the  best  private 
Education  commercial  schools  of  America.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  high  schools  have  not  had 
even  a  commercial  course  until  within  recent  years. 
Now  there  are  four-year  high  school  courses  devoted 
entirely  to  business  training,  junior  colleges  carrying  two 
years  more  of  business  Instruction,  and  universities  giv- 
ing four  years  more  of  higher  business  education,  in 
order  to  efficiently  prepare  young  men  and  women  to 
solve  the  problems  of  business. 

Fundamental     Business  education  is  only  in  its  infancy 
Principles  as   yet.      A    few   prominent    executives 

know  a  great  deal  about  production, 
manufacturing,  managing,  accounting,  finance,  distribu- 
tion, salesmanship,  advertising  and  letter  writing.  But  a 
very  limited  number  of  young  business  men  understand 
the  fundamental  principles  of  business  organization  and 
management  and  they  did  not,  as  a  rule,  gain  this  knowl- 
edge during  their  school  days.  They  obtained  it  after 
they  left  their  regular  school  work,  either  through  cor- 
respondence courses  or  in  special  night  school  classes. 


Why  Salesmanship  Has  Developed  so  Slowly     79 

Only  a  few  people  have  really  made  a  study  of  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  business. 

Importance  of  Men  who  have  mastered  the  fundamental 
Fundamental  principles  of  any  profession  or  phase  of 
Principles  life    have    established    precedents    and 

marked  themselves  as  authorities  in  their 
particular  field.  Blackstone  mastered  the  principles  of 
law  and  made  legal  precedents  that  will  last  possibly  for 
all  time;  Thomas  Jefferson  mastered  the  principles  of 
democracy  and  is  recognized  as  the  world's  greatest 
democrat ;  Abraham  Lincoln  mastered  the  principles  of 
human  liberty  and  made  precedents  that  have  been  fol- 
lowed all  over  the  \vorld;  Marshall  Field  mastered  the 
principles  of  retail  merchandising  and  that  mastery  has 
had  an  influence  on  the  sale  of  goods  in  every  store  in 
America  and  many  other  countries.  Unfortunately,  busi- 
ness heretofore  has  been  conducted  on  a  basis  of  too 
much  guess  work  and  too  little  actual  knowledge  of  the 
basic  principles  governing  business. 

America  a  Salesmanship  is  a  part  of  business  and 

Commercial  it  is  necessary  to  discuss  some  of  the 
Nation  elements  of  business,  as  well  as  sales- 

manship fundamentals,  and  show  how 
they  are  related  and  coordinated.  Inasmuch  as  America 
is  a  great  commercial  nation,  business  education  should 
flourish,  but  such  training  in  reality  is  decades  behind 
engineering  education.  We  have  had  engineering  schools 
in  this  country  for  nearly  a  centur}^  Before  that  time 
if  a  >T)ung  man  w^anted  to  become  an  engineer  he  learned 
by  experience,  just  as  men  have  for  ages  been  learning 


<S0  SCIF.NC!-:  AND  ArT  OF   SELLING 

business.  If  a  man  is  obliged  to  rel}^  on  experience  ex- 
clusively he  will  not  progress  very  rapidly. 

Engineering  Prior  to  the  engineering  school  in  this 
Development  country  there  was  practically  no  con- 
struction development  at  all.  There 
were  no  skyscrapers,  no.  suspension  bridges,  no  great 
railroads  and  no  ocean  liners.  In  fact,  steam  had  only 
been  harnessed  a  little  while.  Up  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago  there  had  been  very  little  mechanical  or 
industrial  development.  Progress  in  the  evolution  of 
machinery  had  been  very  slow.  Manufacturing  tools  and 
agricultural  implements  were  of  the  most  limited  kind 
Just  before  this  nation  was  founded. 

Beginning  of  Beginning  in  1764  there  soon  followed  a 
Mechanical  number  of  remarkable  mechanical  in- 
Inventions  ventions.    In  this^^year  James  Hargraves, 

a  weaver,  invented  the  "Spinning 
Jenny;"  in  1769  a  barber  by 'the  name  of  Richard  Ark- 
wright  learned  to  operate  his  "Water  Frame,"  a  spinning 
machine  driven  by  water  power.  In  1770,  Samuel 
Crompton,  a  weaver,  successfully  combined  the  Har- 
graves and  Arkwright  ideas  into  a  new  power  driven 
machine  called  the  "Spinning  Mule."  In  1782  a  double 
action  steam  engine  designed  for  the  purpose  of  propell- 
ing machinery  was  patented  by  James  Watt,  an  engineer. 
In  1785  the  "Power  Loom"  was  invented  by  Edmond 
Arkwright.  In  1785  Watt's  engine  was  used  to  drive  a 
textile  mill.  In  1786  Henry  Cord,  an  iron  manufacturer, 
invented  a  process  known  as  puddling.  This  was  a  pro- 
cess of  converting  pig  iron  into  malleable  Iron.    He  later 


Why  Salesmanship  Has  Developed  so  Slowly     81 

developed  the  "Rolling  Mill."  In  1793  the  "Cotton  Gin" 
was  invented  by  Eli  Whitney,  a  school  teacher.  In  1807 
Robert  Fulton,  an  engineer,  successfully  operated  the  first 
steamboat,  the  "Clairmont,"  on  the  Hudson  River.  In 
1814,  Robert  Stephenson,  an  engineer,  invented  the  rail- 
road locomotive.  These  inventions  had  a  tendency  to 
revolutionize  manufacturing,  but  little  was  done  until 
men  began  a  scientific  study  of  mechanics.  Since  that 
time  all  the  great  machinery  of  the  world  has  been  pro- 
duced. 

Organized  A   young   man    can    learn   more    about 

Knowledge  electrical  engineering  at  the  present  time 
in  three  years  than  all  the  electrical  ex- 
perts in  the  country  knew  twenty  years  ago.  Let  us  say 
that  a  thousand  electrical  engineers  experimented  on  the 
subject  for  twenty  years  each.  That  would  amount  to 
20,000  man  years,  or  20,000  years  work  for  one  man. 
That  knowledge  has  been  so  organized,  analyzed  and 
condensed  that  a  student  can  now  master  the  results  of 
all  that  work  in  a  three  or  four  years'  college  course. 
This  is  an  enormous  saving  of  time. 

Business  But  what  is  true  of  engineering  edu- 

Willbe  cation    is    not    yet   true    of   business 

Revolutionized  training.  We  are  largely  in  the  form- 
ative stage  of  business  at  the  present 
time.  When  a  group  of  men  start  to  build  a  railroad 
track  they  do  not  guess ;  they  do  not  hire  a  large  body 
of  men,  give  them  picks  and  shovels  and  then  simply 
tell  them  to  dig  a  tunnel  through  the  mountain.  No, 
they  use  scientific  methods ;  dynamite  and  steam  shovels. 


82  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

From  the  time  man  first  walked  the  earth  he  wanted  to 
fly,  but  he  was  never  able  to  do  so  until  the  Wright 
Brothers  discovered  the  basic  principles  of  flying.  Now 
any  first-class  mechanic  anywhere  in  the  world  can  make 
a  flying  machine.  When  men  master  the  principles  of 
business  and  salesmanship,  business  v/ill  be  revolutionized 
just  as  engineering  has  been  revolutionized.  When  that 
time  comes  the  trained  man  in  business  will  do  his  work 
efficiently  and  he  will  know  why  he  does  a  thing,  as  well 
as  how  to  do  it,  and  he  will  be  able  to  reason  from  cause 
to  effect.  He  will  know  in  advance  what  results  to  ex- 
pect from  his  efforts.  At  the  present  time  physical 
science  is  years  ahead  of  mental  science,  which  includes 
the  science  of  business. 


Mechanical  By  the  knowledge  and  use  of  physics  and 
Efficiency  chemistry  mineral  ore  is  made  to  give  up 
the  last  grain  of  value  contained  in  it.  As 
a  result  of  man's  knowledge  of  these  sciences,  every  par- 
ticle of  the  steer  and  hog  is  utilized  in  the  modern  pack- 
ing house.  Machines  have  been  invented  that  have 
doubled  and  quadrupled  production  with  less  human 
effort.  Cash  registers  and  adding  machines  have  been 
devised  which  have  revolutionized  business  systems. 
But  during  all  this  time  the  personal,  selling  and  mana- 
gerial efficiency  of  the  individual  worker  has  not  been 
greatly  increased.  Go  into  any  first-class  store  to-day 
and  you  will  find  an  up-to-date  cash  register  standing  on 
the  front  counter.  The  tools  alone  to  make  this  machine 
cost  approximately  $600,000.00.  Here  Is  a  machine 
which  has  cost  a  million  dollars  to  invent  and  perfect. 


Why  Salesmanship  Has  Developed  so  Slowly     83 

See  what  it  does !  It  gives  the  merchant  a  record  of 
total  cash  sales,  credit  sales,  money  received  on  account, 
and  money  paid  out  for  the  day.  It  even  itemizes  each 
transaction  for  the  day  and  tells  who  was  responsible  for 
it.     It  has  been  called  **A  human  brain  in  a  steel  box." 

Steel  rails  are  worth,  in  normal  times,  about  $30  a  ton. 
This  same  metal  properly  refined  is  worth  about  $6,000,- 
000.00  a  ton,  when  made  into  watch  springs.  The  aver- 
age man  apparently  does  not  realize  that  he  too  can  in- 
crease his  value  similarly  by  proper  processes  of  training, 
but  it  can  be  done.  A  man  can  either  remain  in  the 
cheap  steel  rail  class  and  be  good  only  for  things  to 
travel  on,  or  he  can  get  into  the  watch  spring  class  and 
run  the  whole  works ! 

Knowledge  There  are  reasons  why  salesmanship  is  so 
of  Laws  of  far  behind  the  mechanical  world  in  develop- 
Mind  ment.     Salesmanship  rests  upon  a  knowl- 

edge of  the  laws  of  the  mind.  Mechanical 
development  is  based  upon  an  understanding  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  mechanics.  ''Mechanics  is  the  science  of  the 
actions  and  functions  of  machinery."  "Psychology  is 
the  science  of  the  actions  and  functions  of  the  mind." 
Machinery  is  tangible, — something  which  for  generations 
men  have  been  able  to  see,  feel  and  handle.  The  mind 
is  intangible,  unseen,  unknown,  and  therefore,  by  the 
majority,  supposedly  unknowable.  Consequently,  the 
slow  advance  in  the  development  of  scientific  salesman- 
ship. 


84  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Quote  Roger  Babson's  statement  on  those  who  are 
doing  the  thinking. 

2.  What  per  cent  of  men  have  been  found  trained 
for  business  ? 

3.  What  are  the  fundamentals  of  a  business  training? 

4.  What    has    made    America    a    great    Commercial 
Nation  ? 

5.  W^hat  do  you  mean  by  organized  knowledge? 

6.  Contrast  mechanical  and  physical  efficiency. 


CHAPTER  XI 

SALESMANSHIP  ANALYSIS 

Salesmanship  Whenever  we  have  dealings  with 
Determines  another,  whether  on  matters  of  business 
Success  or  otherwise,  the  natural  laws  of  sales- 

manship are  operating,  and  the  ultimate 
result — whether  success  or  failure — depends  upon  the 
quality  of  salesmanship  exercised.  The  impressions 
which  we  convey  govern  our  progress  financially  and 
otherwise.  To  make  the  right  kind  of  an  impression, 
therefore,  is  the  all  important  thing.  Ex-Secretary 
Shaw  says :  '^I  have  won  more  lawsuits  by  my  opening 
statements  than  in  any  other  way."  Why  did  he  exer- 
cise such  care  in  his  opening  statements?  Remember, 
he  sold  books  and  fruit  trees  for  several  summers  when 
he  was  a  student.  He  says  he  succeeded  by  first  gaining 
the  customer's  confidence.  All  through  life  he  has  real- 
ized the  great  value  of  these  fundamental  principles 
which  we  have  emphasized  so  strongly,  and  he  has  used 
them  to  great  advantage  in  winning  national  fame  as  a 
lawyer,  governor,  cabinet  officer,  orator  and  financier. 

Distinction  There   is   a   science   of   salesmanship 

Between  Science  and  there  is  an  art  of  salesmanship, 
and  Art  of  They  are  both  vital,  essential  and  dis- 

Salesmanship  tinctly  separate  from  each  other. 
Science,  according  to  Herbert  Spen- 
cer, means  "Organized  knowledge."  Science,  as  it  re- 
lates to  salesmanship,  means  the  organizing,  correlating 
and  systematizing  of  the  fundamentals  of  salesmanship 
which  have  stood  the  test  of  reason  and  experience. 
Art  consists  in  doing.    As  it  relates  to  salesmanship,  art 

85 


86  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

is  the  application,  or  making  use  of  the  scientific  prin- 
ciples of  salesmanship  to  gain  the  largest  measure  of 
success,  or  to  make  the  highest  possible  percentage  of 
sales. 

Salesmanship  E.  St.  Elmo  Lewis,  formerly  advertis- 
Analyzed  ing   manager    for   the   Burroughs   Add- 

ing Machine  Company,  once  said — 
"Salesmanship  is  the  ability  to  persuade  people  to  want 
what  they  already  need."  When  we  analyze  this  sen- 
tence we  discover  that  want  is  one  thing  and  that  need 
is  something  entirely  different.  For  instance:  I  may 
want  an  aeroplane,  a  steam  yacht  or  an  automobile  that 
will  travel  a  hundred  miles  an  hour,  but  I  don't  need 
them.  On  the  other  hand,  everybody  needs  education, 
but  everybody  does  not  want  education ;  everybody  needs 
religion,  but.  everybody  does  not  want  religion;  every 
business  office  needs  an  efficient  accounting  system,  but 
every  business  office  manager  does  not  want  an  efficient 
accounting  system;  every  young  man  needs  insurance, 
but  every  young  man  does  not  want  insurance.  Most 
young  men  zvanf  a  good  time,  but  what  they  actually 
need  is  to  spend  most  of  their  time  preparing  to  master 
the  problems  of  life.  Salesmanship  is  the  ability  to 
change  human  needs  into  human  wants. 

What  is  Psychologically    speaking,    salesman- 

Salesmanship?  ship  is  evidence  that  convinces  the 
reason  and  judgment;  persuasion  that 
stirs  the  feelings  to  action,  and  whether  verbal  or  writ- 
ten, the  message  is  given  in  language  that  creates  vivid, 
concrete  pictures  in  the  imagination.     Salesmanship  is 


Salesmanship  Analysis  87 

the  power  to  convince.  Salesmanship  is  the  power,  or 
ability  to  influence  people  to  buy  at  a  mutual  profit,  that 
which  we  have  to  sell,  but  which  they  may  not  have 
thought  of  buying  until  we  called  their  attention  to  it. 

Mutual  Profit  This  definition  brings  out  an  idea  which 
Idea  joins  honesty  and  business  in  an  indis- 

soluble union.  It  relates  to  the  profit 
idea.  Profit  means  mutual  benefit.  Success  in  business 
is  based  upon  this  proposition.  The  old  philosophy 
which  was  practiced  by  many  and  is  still  in  vogue  in 
some  places  to-day,  had  as  its  cardinal  principle :  "Do 
the  other  fellow  and  do  him  first,  and  do  him  just  as 
long  as  he  will  stand  for  it."  Morally,  this  is  wrong. 
In  practice,  it  leads  not  only  to  failure,  but  to  human 
degradation.  The  objective  of  every  business  and  of 
every  business  man  Is  to  make  a  profit.  If  a  business 
cannot  make  a  profit  it  no  longer  justifies  itself  and 
must  go  out  of  existence. 

The  Buyer's  When  a  salesman  approaches  a  prospect- 
Interest  ive  buyer  he  may  be  considering  the 
buyer's  advantage  or  thinking  about  his 
own  interests.  If  he  is  a  dishonest  salesman  and  cares 
nothing  about  the  man  who  buys  he  will  sell  what  he 
cannot  deliver,  and  make  promises  that  he  is  unable  to 
fulfill.  Salesmanship  is  the  ability  to  make  a  mutually 
profitable  exchange  of  values.  If  I  sell  an  article  and 
make  all  the  profit,  I  am  not  a  salesman — I  am  a' robber. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  I  make  a  sale  and  my  customer 
reaps  all  the  beniefit,  I  am  still  not  a  salesman.  I  am 
either  a  philanthropist  or  a  fool,  and  the  chances  are  I 


88  Science  and  Art  of  Sellinij 


am  the  latter.  Quite  often  the  self-interest  of  the  buyer 
degenerates  into  greed.  He  is  no  longer  interested  in  a 
legitimate  proposition.  He  wants  something  extra,  and 
when  a  dishonest  salesman  promises  him  several  hundred 
per  cent  dividend  on  an  investment,  his  greed  asserts 
itself.  He  buys  only  to  find  later  that  the  salesman's 
greed  had  caused  him  to  sell  something  that  he  could 
not  deliver.  Hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars  are  lost  in 
this  way  every  year.  The  victims  are  usually  the  greedy 
people  who  lack  judgment  and  are  not  satisfied  with  a 
reasonable  profit.  The  legitimate  salesman  knows  that 
he  must  get  repeat  orders;  that  he  must  build  up  a 
prestige;  that  a  satisfied  customer  is  the  best  advertise- 
ment. He  Is  not  so  much  Interested  in  the  returns  of 
to-day  as  he  is  In  the  permanent  gain  of  the  future. 

He  Profits  This  Idea  of  mutual  benefit  goes  even 

Most  Who  deeper.    Its  tap  root  Is  embedded  In  the 

Serves  Best  very  heart  of  brotherly  love.  It  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  highest  development  of 
the  Individual  and  of  humanity.  Its  outward  manifesta- 
tion Is  found  In  man's  desire  to  benefit  and  help  his 
fellows.  It  has  therefore  come  to  be  a  truism  tha;  the 
man  who  gives  the  best  service  makes  the  most  profit. 
In  other  words:  "The  man  who  serves  best,  profits 
most."  This  Is  as  true  of  the  professions  as  It  Is  of  busi- 
ness. The  highest  appreciation  as  well  as  the  largest 
gain  belongs  to  the  man  who  serves  the  public  best. 

Another  The  next  definition  brings  out  a  different 

Definition  of      Idea.    It  is  as  follows :    Salesmanship  is 

Salesmanship     the  ability  to  manipulate  another  man's 

mind  so  as  to  persuade  him  to  think  as 


Salesmanship  Analysis  89 

you  think,  feel  as  you  feel  and  act  as  you  would  like  to 
have  him  act.  This  definition  indicates  that  the  salesman 
has  had  a  training  in  logic,  psychology  and  expression. 
Otherwise  he  would  not  be  able  to  control  the  thought, 
feeling  and  volition  of  others.  It  also  recognizes  the 
salesman  as  the  party  of  the  first  part,  and  the  individual 
or  group  with  whom  he  is  dealing"  as  the  party  of  the 
second  part.  This  is  true  whether  he  is  a  clerk  behind 
the  counter,  a  commercial  traveler,  a  merchant,  a  lawyer 
before  a  jury,  the  governor  of  a  state  or  a  President  of 
the  United  States  seeking  a  re-election.  In  each  case 
the  party  of  the  first  part  is  doing  the  same  identical 
thing.  He  is  trying  to  convince  and  influence  people  in 
his  own  behalf. 

Secret  of  We  now  see  that  the  ability  to  control 
Success  others  is  the  secret  of  success,  and  that 

every  person  is  a  salesman.  Each  individ- 
ual is  selling  either  services,  ideas  or  products.  The 
principles  of  salesmanship  are  operative  in  every  In- 
stance, wherever  one  individual  deals  with  another. 
Salesmanship  is  the  ability  to  present  the  merits  of  your 
proposition  and  to  do  it  effectively.  Salesmanship  does 
not  consist  of  putting  something  over  as  so  many  people 
think.  This  is  suggestive  of  dishonesty.  A  true  sales- 
man describes  and  demonstrates  the  merits  of  the  article 
he  is  offering  for  sale.  He  tells  the  truth  about  it  effect- 
ively, and  shows  the  prospect  why  it  is  to  his  advantage 
to  buy. 


90  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

A  Battle  of  The  next  definition  broadens  our  vision 
Organized  still  more.  It  is  this:  Salesmanship  is  a 
Knowledge  battle  of  organised  knowledge  against  un- 
organized knowledge,  or  ignorance.  Let 
me  illustrate:  I  was  very  much  interested  at  one  time 
in  a  painting,  "The  Horse  Fair,"  by  Rosa  Bonheur  in 
the  Vanderbilt  Art  Gallery,  New  York  City.  Those 
beautiful  horses  were  just  as  clear  in  the  mind  of  the 
artist  as  they  are  to  the  human  eye  now.  And  why? 
Her  art  was  organized  in  her  own  thought.  She  sav/ 
vividly  and  all  she  had  to  do  was  to  transfer  what  she 
saw  to  the  canvas.  The  doing  of  that  is  what  we  call 
Art.  The  salesman  must  have  his  own  knowledge  as 
thoroughly  organized  as  that  of  the  artist.  He  must 
then  be  equally  as  competent  to  convey  the  picture  from 
his  mind  to  the  mind  of  his  prospect. 
A  Broader  The  last  definition  is  more  complete  and 
Definition  more  scientific.  It  includes  both  the  man 
side  and  the  material  side  of  the  subjecc. 
It  shows  that  man  must  develop  his  positive  qualities  in 
order  to  be  able  to  lead  and  to  influence  others  to  a 
maximum  degree.  The  definition  Is  as  follows :  Sales- 
manship is  a  power  resulting  from  the  unfolding  and 
growth  of  certain  positive  qualities  and  faculties.  It 
enables  its  possessor  to  influence  and  convince  a  large 
per  cent  of  those  whom  he  solicits  to  buy,  at  a  mutual 
profit,  that  which  he  has  to  sell,  but  which  they  may  not 
have  thought  of  buying  until  he  called  their  attention  to 
it. 

This  definition  Includes  so  much  that  It  will  take  sev- 
eral chapters  to  make  its  meaning  clear.  The  capacity 
set  forth  is  not  merely  a  product  of  latent  ability  in  the 


Salesmanship  Analysis  91 

salesman,  it  is  also  the  outgrowth  of  a  wide  outlook  on 
business  as  well  as  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  particular 
article  offered  for  sale.  The  direct  result  of  this  devel- 
opment of  brain  forces  is  character  and  understanding; 
a  real,  positive,  aggressive,  magnetic,  dynamic  and  com- 
pelling personality,  with  an  unusual  insight  into  human 
nature. 

Character  the  The  finest  mind  in  all  the  world  is  a 
Cornerstone  mockery  if  it  is  not  builded  on  the  solid 
rock  of  enduring  character.  Of  what 
value  is  a  brilliant  intellect,  if  it  is  misdirected?  When 
young  men  learn  that  trickery,  crooked  dealing  and  graft 
are  in  every  case  suicidal,  and  that  true  and  lasting  suc- 
cess never  has  been  and  never  will  be  builded  on  any- 
thing less  than  absolute,  old-fashioned  honesty,  they  have 
taken  the  first  step  toward  a  successful  and  self-satisfy- 
ing career. 

Salesmanship  Salesmanship  not  only  covers  the  work 
Covers  a  Vast  done  by  the  man  behind  the  counter,  the 
Field  one  who  goes  from  door  to  door,  from 

office  to  office  or  from  city  to  city,  but 
it  enters  into  all  the  activities  of  the  selling  end  of  busi- 
ness. It  does  more  than  that.  Its  roots  permeate  every 
department  of  the  factory,  and  go  away  back  and  are 
deeply  embedded  in  the  subsoil  of  the  producer. 

Advertising  Advertising  is  a  form  of  salesmanship. 

and  Business  The  principles  which  hold  good  in  one 

Letter  Writing       are   also    fundamental   in   the   other. 
Many  salesmen  who  understand  how 
to  arouse  interest  during  a  personal  interview  forget  the 


92  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

art  of  persuasion  when  they  write  sales  letters.  The 
man  who  has  mastered  the  science  and  art  of  selling  by 
personal  contact,  by  letter  writing  and  by  advertising, 
wields  a  power  that  few  possess,  but  which  may  be  ac- 
quired. 

The  Salesman  The  merchant  and  the  salesman  of  the 
an  Expert  future    will    understand    every    process 

Advisor  through  which  material  or  merchandise 

must  pass  on  its  way  from  the  producer 
to  the  consumer.  When  he  is  selling  a  suit  of  clothes, 
he  will  know  what  material  is  used  in  making  the  gar- 
ments. He  will  give  the  customer  expert  information 
and  advice.  He  will  present  convincing  reasons  why. 
His  aim  will  be  to  satisfy  the  buyer,  so  that  when  the 
goods  are  worn  out  his  patron  will  return  for  another 
suit. 

Knowledge  No  salesman  can  become  enthusiastic 
Begets  over    selling    anything   unless    he    thor- 

Enthusiasm  oughly  understands  his  proposition  and 
beheves  in  it.  Other  things  being  equal, 
the  salesman  who  knows  and  is  zealous  is  the  one  who 
gets  results.  This  point  was  brought  up  in  one  of  our 
salesmanship  classes  in  San  Francisco  by  a  department 
head  in  a  large  store,  who  was  one  of  our  students.  He 
wanted  to  know  what  good  it  would  do  for  a  saleswoman 
handling  lace  to  know  where  or  how  the  lace  was  manu- 
factured. He  said  she  might  have  three  different  kinds 
of  lace  before  her  when  the  customer  came  in.  The 
prospective  purchaser  did  not  understand  the  difference 
between  lace  produced  in  Zion  City,  in  England,  or  in 


Salesmanship  Analysis  93 

any  other  part  of  the  world  and  neither  did  the  sales- 
woman, and  he  could  not  see  why  the  latter  needed  to 
know.  The  answer  to  that  question  is  very  simple. 
The  salesperson  should  act  as  an  expert  advisor.  How 
can  such  service  be  rendered  if  he  or  she  is  uninformed? 
Furthermore,  how  can  the  salesperson  have  any  real  in- 
terest in  the  article,  or  any  enthusiasm  in  making  the 
sale,  if  he  does  not  know?  This  same  principle  holds 
good  no  matter  what  you  are  selling.  It  is  fundamental. 
Apply  this  test  to  the  work  you  are  doing  and  see  how 
nicely  it  fits. 

Salesmanship  In  studying  this  subject  we  must  invade 
Touches  All  nearly  all  fields  of  learning,  business 
Fields  and  industry.     We  must  make  a  scien- 

tific study  of  man,  of  selling  and  of 
merchandise  and  its  distribution.  Salesmanship  is  not 
only  broad  and  deep,  but  very  interesting.  In  the  effort 
to  understand  it  we  are  obliged  to  call  to  our  aid  the 
principles  of  logic,  psychology,  philosophy,  ethics  and 
economics. 

Salesmen  Are  During  the  last  half  of  the  past  century, 
Civilization  thirty-eight  out  of  the  fifty  greatest  in- 
Builders  ventions   in  history   were  made   in  the 

United  States.  The  cash  register,  the 
adding  machine,  the  typewriter,  the  sewing  machine,  the 
reaper  and  other  modern  labor  saving  devices  had  to  be 
distributed  on  a  world  scale,  and  they  are  still  sold  on 
that  basis.  Salesmen  change  peoples'  minds.  They  lift 
mankind  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  plane  of  living.  They 
are  the  advance  agents  of  new  ideas  and  master  builders 
of  a  better  civilization. 


94  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Traveling  The  traveling  salesman  must  not  only 

Salesman  is  know  his  goods  and  how  to  sell  them, 
an  Educator  his  customers  and  how  to  convince  them, 
but  he  is  also  an  educator.  He  teaches 
the  merchant  the  best  methods  for  selling  goods.  In 
that  way  he  helps  the  retailer  and  they  thereby  enjoy  a 
mutual  profit.  The  commercial  traveler  who  does  this 
will  have  little  trouble  in  holding  his  trade.  Who  wants 
to  quit  dealing  with  a  salesman  who  dispenses  business- 
getting  ideas  free  of  charge? 

Best  Salesman       The  greatest  salesmen  are  those,  who 
is  a  Constant  are  learning  all  the  time  and  who  are 

Student  continually   digging   for  better  ideas 

and  stronger  arguments.  The  cry  of 
the  hour  is  for  a  broader  knowledge,  more  thoroughness 
and  a  real  desire  to  serve. 

Study  to  A  salesman  should  continually  study  to 

Improve  Your  improve  his  method  of  expression.     Get 
English  the  ''Dictionary  habit."     Make  lists  of 

new  words  that  you  hear  in  conversation, 
or  come  across  in  reading,  and  learn  all  you  can  about 
them.  Any  standard  dictionary  will  give  you  the  deriv- 
ation, definition,  spelling  and  the  synonyms  and  anto- 
nyms. Poverty  of  language  is  revealed  by  reiteration  of 
the  same  words.  A  persistent  and  painstaking  search 
for  synonyms  will  impart  fluency,  richness  and  power  to 
your  speech.  The  secret  of  language  is  hidden  in  words, 
which  have  been  aptly  described  by  an  authority  as  "cups 
for  holding  ideas."  A  fine  discrimination  in  their  use 
is  the  hall  mark  of  culture.  For  instance,  a  highly  edu- 
cated native  of  India,  who  was  attending  a  convention 


Salesmanship  Analysis  95 

in  Boston  was  the  first  to  arrive  at  an  important  com- 
mittee meeting.  *^You  believe  in  being  prompt,  don't 
you?"  was  the  admiring  comment  of  an  American,  who 
came  in  later.  "Yes,"  responded  the  Indian  with  careful 
enunciation,  "I  regard  punctuality  as  a  great  virtue." 
Which  one  used  the  correct  term?     . 

Analysis  No  salesman  can  become  a  good  talker 
Necessary  until  he  learns  to  be  a  clear  and  logical 
thinker.  He  must  understand  his  goods, 
have  his  knowledge  analyzed  and  know  how  to  present 
it  simply,  clearly  and  convincingly.  With  this  as  a  basis 
he  can  become  a  great  salesman,  and  salesmanship  is  the 
finest  training  school  in  the  world.  Possibly  more  men 
are  advanced  from  selling  positions  than  all  others  com- 
bined. The  trained  salesman  understands  human  nature 
and  therefore  knows  how  to  handle  men,  which  is  the 
supreme  qualification  of  an  executive. 

Salesmanship  Irving  T.  Bush,  president  of  the  Bush 
Leads  to  Terminal    Company,    New    York    City, 

Success  says :      "Not   only   is   a   salesman's   job 

better  paid  in  actual  salary  return  for 
the  effort  expended,  but  it  is  more  stimulating  mentally, 
and  he  has  the  advantage  of  carving  out  his  own  future 
and  of  getting  the  reward  for  his  efforts." 

My  Idea  of  a  "My  idea  of  a  real  salesman,"  says 
Real  George   W.    Hopkins,   president   of   the 

Salesman  New  York  Advertising  Club,  is :    "First, 

he  must  have  an  absolute  love  for  hu- 
man kind. 


96  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

"Second,  he  must  love  his  job  and  love  it  to  the 
extent  that  when  he  kicks  his  foot  out  of  bed  in  the 
morning  he  can  say:  'Thank  goodness,  I  am  in  this 
town;  thank  goodness,  I  represent  this  company;  thank 
goodness,  it  is  time  to  get  up;  thank  goodness,  my  grip 
is  loaded  with  samples ;  and  thank  goodness,  I  have  got 
so  many  customers  to  sell/  " 

Charles  M.     *The   super-salesman  will  not   only  study 

Schwab  the  immediate  needs  of  his  customers,  but 

Says  he  will  provide  against  those  needs  even 

before    the    customers    realize    that    they 


Qualities  Remember  that  a  neat  appearance,  impress- 
That  Win  ive  manner,  aggressiveness,  enthusiasm, 
earnestness,  good  English  and  diligence  will 
work  wonders.  Cheerfulness,  courtesy  and  tact  are  the 
lubricators  of  human  relations,  and  controlling  factors  in 
business. 

Make  Use  of  Jealously  guard  every  minute  in  the  day. 
Every  Minute  You  would  have  a  man  arrested  for  de- 
liberately stealing  your  money,  but  how 
often  do  you  permit  your  friends  to  pilfer  your  time? 
And  how  many  golden  hours  do  you  wantonly  throw 
away  in  profitless  amusement? 

Study  and  The   only  way   you   will   ever  make   a 

Practice  Will     great  success  as  a  salesman  is  to  assidu- 
Bring  Success    ously  study  the  science  and  art  of  sales- 
manship,  and   practice   what   you   have 
learned  at  the  first  opportunity.    Thousands  of  salesmen 


Salesmanship  Analysis  97 

cannot  generate  first-class,  business-getting  ideas,  but 
they  know  how  to  profitably  use  those  which  have  been 
developed  by  others.  One  aim  of  this  book  is  to  furnish 
you  with  selling  arguments,  but  another  and  larger  pur- 
pose is  to  teach  you  how  to  originate,  expand  and  apply 
first-class,  business-getting  methods  of  your  own. 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Distinguish  between  the  science  and  art  of  sales- 
manship. 

2.  What  is  the  difference  between  want  and  need  as 
applied  to  selling? 

3.  Define  Salesmanship. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  mutual  profit? 

5.  Give  some  factors  entering  into  the  field  of  sales- 
manship. 

6.  In  what  way  should  a  salesman  be  an  educator  ? 

7.  What   qualities   do  you   consider  essential   for  a 
successful  salesman? 


Salesman  and  Customer 


The  crooked  lines  on  the  left  indicate  where  the 
prospective  buyer's  mind  left  the  Arrow  as  result  of 
objections.  The  straight  lines  back  to  Arrow  indicate 
power  of  Salesman. 


INTRODUCTIOM 


Too  busy 

Called  to 
phone 

Continuity 
Broken 

Price  too 
high 


Don't  want 
it 


Can't  af- 
ford it 


Not  now 
Later  on 


^QliiyiCTION 


Mind  goes  off  on  tangent. 

Mind  goes  back  to  arrow, 
but  leaves  when  called 
away. 

Interested,  but  price  too 
high. 

Mind  brought  back  to  ar- 
row when  convinced  of 
value,  but  not  sure  he 
wants  it. 


Desires  it,  but  not  sure 
he  can  afford  it. 


Decides  to  buy — later  on. 

Mind  forced  to  arrow  at 
Resolve,  but  left  it  by 
deciding  not  to  buy  till 
later. 


X>  ORDER  Decides  to  do  it  now. 


CHART  XIV.     MENTAL  LAW  OF  SALE 
98 


CHAPTER  XII 

MENTAL  LAW  OF  SALE 

First  Many   salesmen  have  never   realized  that 

Principles  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  psychology  of 
in  Selling  selling;  a  series  of  mental  steps  through 
which  the  mind  of  the  prospective  customer 
must  be  taken  before  the  sale  is  consummated.  We  have 
questioned  hundreds  of  salesmen,  some  of  them  college 
men,  on  how  they  make  a  sale,  and  nearly  all  of  them 
have  replied:    "Well,  I  just  make  it,  if  I  can." 

If  we  were  to  ask  a  physician  what  he  would  do  in 
treating  a  case  of  diphtheria  he  would  promptly  tell  us. 
If  we  should  request  a  lawyer  to  describe  the  kind  of 
argument  he  would  use  in  defending  a  client  accused  of 
murder,  he  w^ould  be  able  to  outHne  it  as  soon  as  he  had 
obtained  all  the  facts  in  the  case.  A  famous  pianist  in 
explaining  how  he  became  noted  would  emphasize  his 
study  of  the  underlying  principles  of  music  and  of  har- 
mony, and  that  he  practiced  constantly.  But  when  an 
untrained  salesman  is  interrogated  about  making  a  sale 
he  lamely  replies :    "I  just  make  it,  if  I  can." 

The  Seven  Every  successful  speaker  who  ap- 

Mental  Processes       pears  before  an  audience  has  a  cer- 
ofaSale  tain  definite  objective  in  mind.     It 

is  to  entertain,  instruct,  convince  or 
persuade.  Likewise,  every  progressive  salesman  has  a 
clearly  defined  purpose  in  mind. 

What  method  will  he  use?  The  railroad  builder  em- 
ploys dynamite,  steam  shovels  and  other  modern  appli- 
ances. Is  there  such  a  thing  as  psychological  engineer- 
ing that  is  eflfective  in  salesmanship?     Can  a  salesman 

99 


100  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

operate  with  scientific  accuracy,  and  if  so,  how  can  he 
do  it?  The  seven  mental  steps  indicated  below  are  the 
psychological  engineering  by  which  you  can  tunnel 
through  the  thickest  skull  and  into  the  head  and  heart  of 
the  prospect: 

First,  he  must  be  met  personally,  and  thus  the  in- 
troduction is  the  first  step. 

Second,  his  attention  must  be  attracted  favorably 
toward  the  article  offered  for  sale.  To  do  this  the  sales- 
man is  required  to  quickly  create  a  pleasurable  sensation 
in  the  prospective  customer's  mind.  The  reason  many 
salesmen  do  not  get  a  hearing  is  because  they  fail  to 
make  a  good  impression  at  the  outset. 

Third,  interest  of  the  prospect  must  be  aroused. 

Fourth,  the  salesman  must  convince  the  prospect 
that  it  is  to  his  advantage  to  buy. 

Fifth,  the  salesman  must  create  a  desire  for  his 
proposition. 

Sixth,  he  must  make  his  prospective  customer  re- 
solve to  get  it. 

Seventh,  and  most  important,  he  must  know  how  to 
close  the  order. 

Many  salesmen  succeed  in  doing  six-sevenths  of  the 
work  very  well,  but  fail  to  consummate  the  sale. 

Each  Mental  Step  Each  one  of  these  processes  is 
Distinct  and  Very  separate  and  distinct.  The  man 
Important  who  does  not  understand  them  or 

know  just  how  to  carry  his  cus- 
tomer along  is  simply  working  at  random.  Remember 
that  to  fall  short  at  one  point  is  fatal.    You  may  almost 


Mental  Law  of  S'aLe,\   ^     '.•.••»  > 'ICri 


produce  an  absolute  conviction  as  to  the  value  of  your 
product,  and  yet  one  little  deficiency  will  cost  you  the 
sale.  All  these  processes  are  no  stronger  than  the  weak- 
est one.  The  salesman  should  acquire  the  art  of  starting 
another  man's  mind  in  motion  and  gradually  increasing 
its  momentum  by  the  use  of  stimulating  ideas,  illustra- 
tions and  inspirational  touches,  until  the  prospect  reaches 
a  climax  of  enthusiasm,  and  the  sale  is  completed.  The 
untrained  salesman's  methods  are  as  crude  and  ineffect- 
ive as  are  attempts  of  an  unskilled  mechanic  to  operate 
without  technical  training. 

All  the  Steps  The  steps  in  the  Mental  Law  of  Sale 
Are  Covered  are  so  closely  connected  with  each  other 
Quickly  that  the  mind  goes  through  them  some- 

times with  almost  electrical  rapidity,  but 
it  consciously  or  unconsciously  takes  each  one  just  the 
same.  For  instance:  After  a  grocery  clerk  had  sold  a 
customer  a  bill  of  goods  he  called  his  patron's  attention 
to  a  display  of  beautiful,  ripe  peaches.  He  interested 
the  man  by  taking  a  luscious  peach  out  of  the  basket 
and  holding  it  up  for  closer  inspection.  It  was  sun-kissed 
on  one  side  and  an  autumn  brown  on  the  other.  The 
prospect  was  convinced  that  it  was  good  for  him  and 
desire  was  kindled.  At  that  instant  the  clerk  said,  "Take 
a  bite."  One  bite  was  enough  to  arouse  the  customer's 
appetite  and  cause  him  to  buy.  He  asked  the  price  of 
the  basket,  paid  his  money  and  took  the  peaches.  You 
can  easily  trace  every  process  in  the  Mental  Law  of  Sale 
in  this  simple  every  day  transaction. 


1  v02      >  <;:  \^  *      ^(TJEK^CE  AND»  ArT  OF  SELLING 


The  Problem  of  You  will  find  the  Mental  Law  of 

Mental  Law  Sale  chart  on  page  98.     This  chart 

of  Sale  is  simply  a  vivid  picture  of  how 

the  mind  acts.  The  aim  of  this 
analysis  is  to  start  the  mind  of  the  prospect  in  motion 
toward  the  signed  order  and  to  get  it  there  with  the 
least  amount  of  time  and  effort.  The  problem  of  the 
Mental  Law  of  Sale  is  to  find  the  best,  easiest  and 
quickest  method  of  carrying  the  mind  from  the  intro- 
duction to  the  close.  How  to  accomplish  that  most  ef- 
ficiently is  the  biggest  problem  in  salesmanship. 

Easier  to  In  discussing  this   subject   Hugh   Chal- 

Make  Than         mers  says :     "I  have  been  in  the  manu- 
to  Sell  facturing  business  nearly  all  my  life  and 

I  have  found  that  is  much  easier  to  make 
things  than  it  is  to  sell  them.  It  took  me  some  time  to 
figure  that  out.  It  finally  dawned  upon  me  that  the 
difference  is  caused  through  the  fact  that  in  one  case 
you  deal  mostly  with  machinery  and  metal,  while  in  the 
other  you  deal  entirely  with  the  mind.  Machinery  is  a 
fixed  quantity.  You  know  exactly  what  it  will  do  under 
given  conditions.  It  is  very  often  automatic  and  requires 
little  attention  from  anyone.  It  is  nearly  always  the 
same.  It  never  changes  its  mind.  It  is  seldom  influenced 
by  outside  conditions.  When  you  get  on  the  other  side 
and  try  to  deal  with  humanity,  you  face  very  different 
problems.  Humanity  thinks.  It  has  feelings.  It  has 
sensations,  decisions,  prejudices.  It  changes  its  mind. 
It  is  influenced  by  environment  and  the  conditions  sur- 
rounding it." 


Mental  Law  of  Sale  103 

A  Sale  is  Mr.  Chalmers  also  says :     "A  sale  does 

Made  in  the         not  take  place  in  a  man's  pocket,  or  in 
Mind  his  pocket-book,  or  his  check-book,  but  it 

first  takes  place  in  his  mind.  In  order 
to  make  a  sale  you  must  convince  a  man's  mind.  When 
you  approach  him  he  feels  that  he  does  not  want  your 
goods.  You  feel  that  he  should  have  them  and  would 
buy  them  if  he  knew  as  much  about  them  as  you  do.  In 
order  to  sell  him  you  must  change  his  mind  and  bring  it 
around  to  agree  with  yours.  When  we  once  put  sales- 
manship on  this  broad  plane  of  convincing  the  other 
man's  mind,  it  doesn't  make  any  difference  whether  we 
are  trying  to  sell  a  house  and  lot  or  a  paper  of  pins." 

Result  of  25  Years      Then  Mental  Law  of  Sale  chart  is 
Experience  and  a  picture  of  how  the  mind  actually 

Teaching  works  during  the  process  of  a  sale. 

This  analysis  is  the  result  of 
twenty-five  years  experience  in  selling,  managing  sales- 
men and  teaching  salesmanship.  Several  of  the  steps 
overlap  slightly  but  all  of  them  must  be  considered  in 
order  to  make  this  law  as  clear  as  crystal  to  every  sales- 
man who  studies  it.  Each  process  will  be  illustrated  and 
discussed  in  detail  in  the  following  chapters. 

Reserve  Get  the  order  as  quickly  as  you  can  and 

Selling  Talk  with  as  little  talk  as  possible.  Do  not  go 
into  details  at  first.  Sketch  the  outline 
of  your  proposition,  simply  giving  the  main  points.  If 
you  fail  to  obtain  an  order  as  a  result  of  this  preliminary 
presentation  then  call  on  your  reserve,  which  should  be 
almost  unlimited.    Be  crisp  and  right  to  the  point.    You 


104  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

will  soon  discover  objections  that  will  guide  you  in  fur- 
ther discussion  of  your  proposition.  There  are  several 
good  reasons  for  making  your  first  talk  brief : 

First,  what  is  the  use  of  wearing  yourself  out  giving 
a  long  demonstration  if  it  is  not  necessary? 

Second,  you  cannot  interest  a  boy  for  an  hour  by 
showing  him  an  elephant's  head  when  the  rest  of  the 
body  is  covered.    He  will  want  to  see  the  whole  elephant. 

Third,  give  a  bird's-eye  view  of  your  entire  subject 
first,  or  your  hearer  will  become  weary  and  lose  interest. 

Fourth,  going  into  details  as  you  proceed  gets  tire- 
some; there  is  not  a  mental  conception  of  the  whole,  and 
a  part  will  not  grip  the  mind. 

Fifth,  when  you  present  a  bird's-eye  view  you  will 
find  out  the  attitude  of  your  prospect.  This  gives  you 
an  insight  into  his  desires  and  enables  you  to  develop 
the  line  of  argument  you  believe  will  be  most  effective. 

Ten  Ways  to  Mr.  John  H.  Patterson,  late  president  of 
Convey  Ideas  the  National  Cash  Register  Company, 
said:  ''If  I  were  to  reduce  my  principle 
of  conveying  an  idea  to  a  creed  it  would  run  something 
in  this  fashion : 

1.  The  nerves  from  the  eye  to  the  brain  are  many 
times  larger  than  those  from  the  ears  to  the  brain. 
Therefore,  when  possible  to  use  a  picture  instead  of 
words,  use  one  and  make  words  mere  connectives  for 
the  pictures. 

2.  Confine  the  attention  to  the  exact  subject  by  draw- 
ing outlines  and  putting  in  the  divisions;  then  we  make 
certain  that  we  are  talking  about  the  same  thing. 


Mental  Law  of  Sale  105 

3.  Aim  for  dramatic  effects  either  in  speaking  or 
writing — study  them  out  beforehand.  This  holds  the  at- 
tention. 

4.  Red  is  the  best  color  to  attract  and  hold  attention, 
therefore  use  plenty  of  it. 

5.  Few  words — short  sentences — small  words — big 
ideas. 

6.  Tell  why  as  well  as  how. 

7.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  big  type  and  do  not  put  too 
much  on  a  page. 

8.  Do  not  crowd  ideas  in  speaking  or  writing.  No 
advertisement  is  big  enough  for  two  ideas. 

9.  Before  you  try  to  convince  anyone  else,  make  sure 
that  you  are  convinced,  and  if  you  cannot  convince  your- 
self, drop  the  subject.    Do  not  try  to  put  over  anything. 

10.  Tell  the  truth." 

The  Salesman's     A    salesman's   success   depends  upon 
Success  his  ability  to  judge  his  customer  quick- 

ly and  accurately,  then  dominate  the 
customer's  mind  in  respect  to  the  goods  he  would  in- 
fluence that  customer  to  buy.  If  the  salesman  does  not 
control  he  becomes  a  servant.  It  is  the  psychologist,  the 
scientist  of  the  mind,  if  you  please,  who  can  teach  us 
principles  which  we,  in  turn,  may  adapt  to  selling.  We 
cannot  afford  to  omit  any  study  that  will  increase  our 
efficiencv. 


106  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


Mental  Law  of  An   understanding  of   the   Mental 

Sale  Has  a  Wide  Law  of  Sale  will  enable  you  to  in- 
Application  in  Life  fluence  people  in  business,  religion, 
politics  and  ■  diplomacy.  The 
world's  leaders  are  not  necessarily  the  great  scholars, 
nor  the  men  of  commanding  intellect,  but  rather  the  men 
who  understand  human  nature — who  know  how  to  in- 
terpret it  and  how  to  influence  mankind.  Hugh  Chal- 
mers says:  "Next  to  the  importance  of  what  you  say, 
is  the  way  in  which  you  say  it.  It  is  so  in  talking.  It  is 
so  in  advertising.     It  is  so  in  salesmanship." 

Importance         Remember  the  arrow  in  the  Mental  Law 
of  Definite  of  Sale  chart.    You  must  have  a  definite 

Object  object  in  view  when  you  attempt  to  make 

a  sale.  Get  it  fixed  in  your  mind  and 
then  work  with  all  your  might  to  achieve  it.  If  you  do 
not  know  where  you  are  going  you  will  not  get  anywhere. 
It  will  be  like  shooting  with  your  eyes  shut.  This  prin- 
ciple is  equally  applicable  to  advertising,  salesmanship, 
public  speaking  and  writing  a  book  because,  it  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  Mental  Law  of  Sale. 

Committing  a  One  great  value  of  committing  a  selling 
Selling  Talk  talk  to  memory  is  that  such  an  argument 
to  Memory  is  generally  the  result  of  a  wide  range  of 
experience.  It  contains  the  strongest 
reasons  that  can  be  presented  upon  the  subject.  It  is 
logical  and  is  governed  by  an  intimate  understanding 
of  human  nature.  A  salesman  who  memorizes  will 
thereby  acquire  skill  in  meeting  objections.  He  will 
know  just  what  to  say  as  the  situation  develops.    He  will 


Mental  Law  of  Sale  lOT 

talk  convincingly  because  he  has  learned  to  think  clearly. 
You  should  not  present  your  strongest  arguments  at 
the  outset,  as  that  might  excite  suspicion.  Work  up  to  a 
climax.  Use  the  woodsman's  method.  Insert  the  thin 
end  of  the  wedge  of  logic,  then  drive  it  home. 

Importance  of  Once  the  principles  of  the  Mental  Law 
Mental  Law  of  Sale  are  thoroughly  mastered  they  are 
of  Sale  available  not  only  for  salesmanship  but 

for  advertising,  letter  writing  and  public 
speaking.  A  creative  letter  writer  who  has  business- 
building  ideas,  earns  as  high  as  $25,000  a  year. 

Knowledge  of  Every  successful  salesman,  whether 
Principles  Makes  he  does  it  knowingly  or  otherwise. 
Results  Certain  uses  some  of  the  scientific  principles 
of  salesmanship.  But  if  he  employs 
them  at  random  the  results  will  not  always  be  satisfac- 
tory. A  clear  understanding  of  the  best  methods  of  ap- 
plying this  knowledge  greatly  increases  effectiveness  and 
earning  capacity  in  any  business  or  profession. 

Principles  Experts  have  studied  the  action  of  the  mind 
Must  be  for  centuries  and  they  have  worked  out 

Mastered  what  is  called  "psychology,"  which  defines 
and  describes  the  laws  that  control  human 
nature.  Every  salesman  should  make  a  study  of  psychol- 
ogy because  it  has  a  very  practical  bearing  on  his  busi- 
ness success.  He  may  disregard  this  science  in  part  and 
still  do  fairly  well,  but  if  he  ignores  it  entirely  he  will 
fail;  and  the  worst  of  it  is  he  will  not  know  why  he 
failed. 


INTRODUCTION 


Persuade  prospect    to 
make  new  investment. 

Prospect  satisfied 
with  present  methods. 

Prospect    sees    value 
of  your  proposition. 

Show  financial,  social 
or    other   losses   sus- 
tained without  your 
goods. 

Show     financial    and 
other  advantages 
from    use  of  your 
goods. 

Persuade   prospect   to 
buy  your  goods   rather 
than  goods  of  competi- 
tor 

Buying    your    goods 
may  interrupt  pleasant 
business  relations. 

Buying    you    goods 
does  not   interrupt 
present  relations 

Show    superiority  of 
goods  or  service  and 
gain  friendship. 

Show  advantages   of 
continuing  present 
relations. 

CHART  XV.    INTRODUCTION 
108 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  APPROACH 

The  We  will  first  consider  the  introduction  or 

Approach  "approach."  The  two  individuals  meet. 
The  salesman  greets  his  prospective  cus- 
tomer and  sometimes  shakes  hands  with  him,  but  not 
alw^ays.  I  want  you  to  think  of  this  salesman  as  the 
party  of  the  first  part.  His  sole  object  is  to  convince 
and  persuade  the  party  of  the  second  part  to  think  as  he 
thinks,  feel  as  he  feels,  and  act  as  he  would  like  to  have 
him  act.  But  how?  Here  is  where  the  laws  governing 
the  mind  must  be  considered.  If  they  are  not  recognized 
either  consciously  or  unconsciousty,  or  if  only  part  of 
them  are  obeyed,  the  interview  is  likely  to  be  unsuccess- 
ful. 

Salesman's  The  party  of  the  second  part  is  curious  to 
Opening  know  what  his  visitor  wants.  If  the  sales- 
Remarks  man  is  selling  pianos  and  says :  "My  name 
is  Jones,  and  I  w^ant  to  show  you  a  piano," 
or,  "Would  you  like  to  buy  a  piano?"  his  prospect  will 
probably  say :  "No,  I  do  not,"  simply  because  the  sales- 
man has  failed  to  approach  him  in  the  right  way.  He 
has  broken  one  of  the  first  laws  leading  to  the  successful 
culmination  of  the  transaction.  He  has  failed  to  address 
his  prospect  favorably.  He  has  antagonized  him  just  a 
little,  by  failure  to  get  over  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence 
and  address  the  prospect  from  his  own  point  of  view. 
Let  us  suppose  he  began  like  this:  "Mr.  Brown,  my 
name  is  Jones,  I  represent  the  Blank  Piano  Company, 
and  I  was  referred  to  you  by  Mr.  So-and-so  who  said 
you  were  in  the  market  for  a  piano.    The  object  of  my 

109 


110  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

visit  is  to  show  you  the  joy  and  pleasure  that  good  music 
will  bring  to  your  home,  and  that  the  Blank  Piano  will 
give  you  better  service  for  the  money  than  any  other 
piano  made."  You  will  notice  in  this  approach  that  the 
salesman  immediately  addresses  the  prospect  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  customer's  interests  and  needs,  and  not 
from  that  of  his  desire  to  sell. 

Attend  It  is  one  thing  to  greet  a  prospect,  but  to 

to  Your  turn  his  mind  away  from  you  and  direct 

Proposition  it  favorably  toward  your  goods  is  a  dif- 
ferent matter.  Getting  the  attention, 
therefore,  is  the  second  step.  On  your  first  words  to 
the  prospective  buyer  usually  hangs  the  fate  of  the  sale. 
If  you  call  on  a  purchasing  agent  and  say  to  him,  "Mr. 
Brown,  what  have  you  got  for  me  to-day?"  he  will  gen- 
erally say :  "Nothing."  Your  bearing  should  always  be : 
"What  can  I  do  for  you?" 

Mental  In    your    approach    you    should    carefully 

Attitude  watch  your  mental  attitude  and  manner  to 
avoid  creating  a  feeling  of  antagonism.  If 
you  act  like  a  tramp  or  clown  you  are  apt  to  feel  like 
one.  On  the  other  hand,  if  you  draw  in  your  chin,  ex- 
pand your  chest  and  behave  like  a  successful  business 
man,  you  will  be  conscious  of  added  power.  Your  state 
of  mind  determines  your  dress,  appearance,  environ- 
ment and  measure  of  success.  You  cannot  emphasize 
this  thought  too  vigorously. 


TiTE  Approactt  111 


Be  Natural  In  introducing  yourself  be  natural  and 
and  Agreeable  agreeable.  You  must  learn  how  to  smile 
spontaneously  and  radiate  geniality  or 
you  will  never  be  highly  successful  as  a  salesman.  I  do 
not  mean  a  sickly,  forced  grin,  but  a  smile  that  indicates 
that  its  owner  is  living  in  peace  and  harmony  with  all 
the  world.  Some  faces  radiate  disagreeableness,  others 
good-will ;  some  meanness,  others  kindness.  You  cannot 
hold  evil  thoughts  and  smile  at  the  same  time.  Try  it 
and  your  lips  will  curl  with  a  cynical  sneer.  Your  coun- 
tenance is  a  looking-glass  that  reflects  the  images  within. 
You  cannot  help  revealing  yourself.  To  look  at  some 
men  you  would  think  they  had  not  laughed  for  a  year. 
They  seem  to  be  afraid  that  they  will  crack  the  enamel 
upon  their  faces.  An  agreeable  expression  is  evidence 
of  honesty — and  honesty,  character  and  success  go  to- 
gether. Get  in  the  habit  of  being  friendly  to  everybody. 
Be  serious  and  earnest  but  do  not  allow  yourself  to  look 
solemn  or  stolid.  People  do  not  enjoy  associating  with 
an  ice-berg.  Look  human,  act  human,  be.  human  and 
others  will  want  to  do  business  with  you. 

A  "No"  Must  Introducing    yourself    properly,    and 

Not  Discourage  getting  the  attention  of  your  prospect 
are  two  entirely  different  things.  A 
majority  of  the  people  you  approach  will  say:  '''No,  I 
do  not  want  anything,  and  do  not  care  to  look  at  it." 
Of  course  they  do  not  want  a  thing  about  which  they 
know  absolutely  nothing.  A  basic  law  of  the  mind 
causes  a  man  to  say  "No"  to  a  proposition  that  he  does 
not  understand.  So  do  not  be  discouraged  when  you 
hear  the  word :    "No."    In  most  cases  it  does  not  signify 


112  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

that  you  cannot  sell.  It  means  that  the  man  is  not 
aware  of  the  value  of  your  product  to  him.  That  is  your 
task  as  a  salesman.  If  you  cannot  get  his  attention  it 
means  that  you  have  not  yet  mastered  the  secret  of  suc- 
cessful personal  approach  and  appeal.  How  can  we  ex- 
pect prominent  business  men  to  be  attracted  by  what  we 
are  selling  unless  we  first  understand  their  needs? 

Self-interest  In  chapter  one  you  learned  that  self- 
Approach  preservation  is  the  first  law  of  human 
nature.  Out  of  that  law  comes  the 
controlling  motive  of  self-interest.  The  Almighty  im- 
planted in  every  mind,  yours  and  mine,  the  desire  to  live 
and  succeed,  and  so  every  individual  instinctively  says: 
*1  want  to  do  somethin^^;  I  want  to  be  somebody;  I 
want  to  be  a  success."  In  other  words,  we  are  everlast- 
ingly thinking,  'T,"  "I,"  "I."  "What  is  there  in  it  for 
me,"  Is  the  dominating  query  of  humanity.  Instinctively 
and  humanly  speaking,  we  are  not  thinking  of  the  other 
fellow.  Personal  profit  is  our  foremost  consideration. 
The  successful  salesman  understands  this  "Secret  of  hu- 
man nature,"  and  instead  of  thinking  or  saying,  '7/'  he 
turns  it  around  and  says,  ''You/'  "What  can  /  do  for 
youf  How  can  /  help  youF"  That  is  the  mental  atti- 
tude. All  the  success  that  ever  comes  to  an  individual 
is  the  result  of  helping  other  people.  The  wise  salesman 
knows  that  if  he  makes  money  for  his  customer,  his 
customer  will  reciprocate. 

How  are  we  going  to  utilize  this  principle,  and  work 
in  harmony  with  the  law  of  self-interest?  I  wonder  if 
it  Is  not  possible  for  us  to  develop  an  approach  that  will 
fit  any  kind  of  selling  problem,  no  matter  how  difficult 


The  Approach  113 


it  may  be?    I  know  it  can  be  done,  for  experts  are  doing 
it  constantly. 

The  N.  C.  R.  Here  is  an  approach  used  by  the  Nat- 
Approach  ional  Cash  Register  Company.  That 
company  spent  twenty  years  in  develop- 
ing and  perfecting  it.  If  they  had  understood  the  prin- 
ciples of  psychology  applied  to  salesmanship  as  they  are 
known  to-day,  they  could  have  worked  out  this  approach 
in  twenty  hours  instead  of  twenty  years.  I  have  used  it 
thousands  of  times  as  a  National  Cash  Register  salesman. 
It  was  almost  universally  successful.  It  is  as  follows: 
"Mr.  Brown,  I  would  like  to  show  you  our  modern 
system.  It  will  do  three  things  for  you :  Stop  losses  in 
your  store,  increase  profits  and  increase  your  business." 
— "Stop  losses  in  your  store."  That  appealed  entirely  to 
the  self-interest  of  my  prospective  customer  and  ex- 
pressed my  desire  to  serve  him.  Second:  "Increase 
your  profits."  That  is  also  a  matter  of  self-interest  to 
him,  because  he  is  in  business  to  make  money.  Third : 
"Increase  your  business."  That  is  another  big  self-in- 
terest appeal.  You  will  notice  that  not  a  word  is  said 
about  my  Interests.  Possibly  no  approach  that  was  ever 
worked  out  had  so  many  self-interest  appeals  in  one 
sentence.  It  is  marvelously  effective.  You  can  apply 
this  principle  to  the  sale  of  anything. 

Dominant  Personal  interest  is  the  dominant  motive 

Emotion  of  in  every  man's  life,  and  the  salesman's 
Every  Man  proposition  must  satisfy  this  demand  if 
the  sale  is  to  be  made.  The  following 
method  is  used  very  successfully  in  selling  a  salesman- 
ship course.     The  prospect  in  this  case  being  an  Insur- 


Ill  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

ance  Salesman.  "Mr.  Brown,  your  business  is  selling 
insurance,  isn't  it?"  Immediately  the  prospect  says 
"Yes,"  and  he  would  probably  think  the  salesman  wanted 
a  big  policy  and  be  glad  to  see  him.  The  next  proposition 
is :  "My  business  is  to  help  you  get  more  business.  In 
other  w^ords,  I  am  handling  what  I  consider  to  be  the 
best  thing  on  the  subject  of  salesmanship  in  the  country, 
and  if  I  can  prove  to  you  that  what  I  have  is  to  your 
advantage  and  it  doesn't  cost  you  too  much,  you  wouldn't 
hesitate  a  minute  to  get  it,  would  you?"  Nine  men  out 
of  ten  actually  say:  "No,  I  am  from  Missouri,  show 
me,"  or  words  to  that  effect.  You  see  that  is  purely  a 
self-interest  approach,  and  what  is  more,  this  appeal  is 
put  in  the  form  of  a  question.  When  the  prospective 
customer  answers  favorably,  all  the  salesman  has  to  do 
is  to  make  good  his  claim. 

Get  on  the  Salesmen  should  get  over  on  the  cus- 

Customer*s  Side  tomer's  side  of  the  fence  as  quickly  as 
of  the  Fence  possible.     This  is  vital.     Your  pros- 

pective customer  does  not  care  one 
cent  for  you  or  for  what  you  have  to  sell  until  you  can 
show  him  that  you  have  something  that  will  help  him  in 
his  business. 

Your  First  The  first  statement  you  make  to  your  pros- 
Statement  pective  customer  will  not  be  about  yourself 
or  your  goods.  It  will  be  an  appeal  to  his 
needs,  desires  or  fears.  The  patent  medicine  advertise- 
ment is  a  good  illustration.  It  makes  a  man  feel  sure 
that  he  has  consumption  or  some  other  ailment.  When 
that  conviction  has  been  created  the  victim  is  ready  to 


The  Approach  115 


ask  for  a  remedy.  If  you  can  prove  to  a  man  that  a 
certain  investment  will  enable  him  to  earn  a  good  per- 
centage on  his  money,  he  will  ask  you  what  it  is  and 
where  he  can  get  it.  If  you  try  to  sell  it  to  him  without 
first  creating  a  desire,  he  will  laugh  at  you.  You  must 
whet  his  appetite  for  what  you  have  to  offer  before  you 
begin  your  appeal,  and  the  appeal  should  not  be  made 
until  the  evidence  has  been  presented. 

The  Busy  If  your  prospect  is  busy,  ask  him  when  he 
Prospect  could  give  you  (state  the  length  of  time) 
say,  five  minutes.  You  can  nearly  always 
make  such  an  appointment.  When  you  do,  leave  at 
once.  The  fact  that  you  ask  only  five  minutes  will  often 
cause  your  prospective  customer  to  offer  you  the  time 
right  then.  If  he  does,  begin  immediately,  plunge  into 
the  heart  of  the  matter  in  language  that  is  logical  and. 
carries  unmistakable  conviction.  When  your  time  is  up, 
do  one  of  three  things — get  the  order,  get  out  or  get  an 
invitation,  either  verbal  or  assumed,  to  stay  longer. 

Shaking  When  you  call  upon  a  business  man,  intro- 

Hands  duce  yourself  in  a  kindly,  agreeable  way. 

It  is  not  often  wise  to  shake  hands  with 
him.  That  must  be  decided  by  circimistances.  Most  city 
men  will  resent  it.  Some  others  will  appreciate  it.  But 
if  you  do  not  shake  hands  with  a  man  when  you  meet 
him,  you  may  do  so  when  the  interview  ends.  In  that 
way  you  leave  a  strong  impression. 


116  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Keeping  Always  make  an  appointment  with  a 

Appointments  man  to  see  your  samples  as  soon  as 
possible  and  when  it  will  be  conven- 
ient for  him.  If  the  time  set  is  during  business  hours, 
do  not  go  to  your  sample  room  and  wait.  Call  at  the 
store  and  have  the  merchant  go  with  you,  or  remind  him 
of  the  conference  by  telephone.  If  he  cannot  see  you 
then,  another  date  can  be  arranged. 

Getting  in  to  A  young  man  tried  to  get  an  interview 
See  Prospect  with  the  manager  of  a  very  large  con- 
cern, who  was  busily  engaged  in  building 
new  factories.  He  called  seven  times  without  success. 
Then  he  sent  a  telegram  to  his  prospect,  which  "opened 
the  door"  for  him. 

Turning  a  The  president  of  a  concern  not  wishing 

Refusal  Into  to  see  a  salesman,  but  being  desirous  of 
an  Advantage  sending  him  away  in  a  cheerful  frame  of 
mind,  sent  his  secretary,  a  winsome 
young  woman  with  exceptional  ability,  to  advise  the 
soHcitor  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  see  him.  Fifteen 
minutes  afterward  the  young  man  called  up  on  the  tele- 
phone. In  brief,  here  is  what  he  said:  "I  realize  that 
you  are  busy  and  can't  see  me,  but  I  want  to  say  that  I 
never  before  had  the  pleasure  of  being  treated  so  nicely. 
Sending  your  secretary  out  made  it  a  pleasure  to  be  re- 
fused and  I'm  coming  back  every  day  if  only  to  have 
her  turn  me  down."  There  was  no  way  to  snap  a  curt 
reply  to  such  a  compliment.  It  provoked  a  smile  and  a 
few  friendly  remarks.  The  salesman  had  the  excellent 
judgment  not  to  take  undue  advantage  of  the  situation 


The  Approach  117 


and  hung  up   shortly.     But  he  left  things  in  excellent 
shape  for  an  interview  later. 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Give  the  seven  steps  of  the  Mental  Law  of  Sale. 

2.  Why  is  it  necessary  for  a  salesman  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  mental  process  and  how  to  follow  it? 

3.  What   step  in  the  Mental  Law  of  Sale  do  you 
consider  most  important?     Why? 

4.  Is    a   prospect   ever   sold  before   his   mind   goes 
through  all  the  processes? 

5.  Why  is  it  easier  to  make  things  than  to  sell  them? 

6.  Give  some  reasons   for  having  a  reserve  selling 
talk. 

7.  Kow  may  ideas  be  conveyed? 

8.  Write  a  good  approach  to  be  used  when  selling 
Life  Insurance. 

9.  Would  you  shake  hands  with  your  prospect? 

10.  How  may  a  refusal  sometimes  be  turned  into  an 
advantage  ? 


INTEREST 


Self-interest 


Emotions 


Your  Message 


Your  Expression 


Frequently  Test 

Prospect's  Attention 

By  Asking  Questions  that 

Will  Show  You  How  Closely 

He  has  Followed 

Your  Message 


MAKE   YOUR   MESSAGE   SO  PERSONAL 

OR  YOUR  ACTIONS  SO  DRAMATIC 

THAT  PROSPECT  MUST  LISTEN 


CHART  XVI.     AROUSING  INTEREST 
118 


CHAPTER  XIV 

AROUSING  INTEREST 

Arousing  Attention  sustained  soon  ripens  into  inter- 
Interest  est.  And  what  is  interest?  It  is  "Excite- 
•  ment  of  feeling,  whether  pleasant  or  pain- 
ful, accompanying  special  attention  to  some  object ;  to 
arouse ;  to  excite  to  action ;  to  excite  emotion  or  passion 
in  behalf  of  a  person  or  thing.  Interest  expresses  mental 
excitement  of  various  kinds  and  degrees.  It  may  be  in- 
tellectual, or  sympathetic  and  emotional,  or  merely  per- 
sonal." But  notice,  interest  means  to  "excite  to  action." 
I  want  you  to  observe  something  very  carefully  right  at 
this  point.  You  must  interest  an  individual  either  by 
what  you  say  or  by  the  way  you  say  it.  In  discussing 
this  idea  in  his  essay  on  the  philosophy  of  style,  Herbert 
Spencer  says,  "Concentrate  on  what  you  are  saying.  It 
takes  will  power  to  do  it,  as  attention  is  the  center  of 
the  will." 

A  Far-Reaching     When  you  satisfy  curiosity  you  lose 
Principle  interest.     This  is  a  fundamental  law 

of  human  nature.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting,  practical,  far-reaching  psychological 
principles  to  be  found.  The  individual  who  thoroughly 
understands  and  applies  the  principle  found  in  the  follow- 
ing illustration  will  greatly  increase  his  selling  ability. 

The  Principle     An  automobile  salesman  had  a  prospect 
Illustrated  so  thoroughly  convinced  that  he  asked : 

"How  soon  can  you  deliver  the  car?" 
Look  at  that  question  and  think.  How  would  you 
answer  it  ?    Nine  salesmen  out  of  ten  by  actual  test  give 

119 


120  >   Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

the  wrong  reply.  The  tenth  makes  a  lot  of  extra  money 
by  understanding  the  strategy  and  knowing  how  to 
answer. 

This  salesman  said:  *T  can  get  it  for  you  right  away." 
He  lost  the  sale.  For  the  prospect  replied:  "There  is 
no  hurry.     I  will  think  it  over  and  see  you  next  week." 

When  a  salesman  is  asked  when  he  can  make  a  delivery 
and  the  prospect  has  iiot  as  yet  committed  himself  in 
regard  to  buying  the  car,  he  should  immediately  take  it 
for  granted  that  the  prospect  has  decided  in  his  own 
mind  to  make  the  purchase.  Fundamentally  speaking, 
there  is  just  one  correct  answer  to  this  question.  That 
IS  to  answer  the  question  by  asking  him  another  one. 
The  question  was,  "When  caii  yoti  deliver  the  car?"  The 
answer  is :  "How  soon  will  you  want  it  ?"  or,  "How  soon 
will  you  have  to  have  it  ?" 

Otfensive  strategy  is  possibly  the  most  important 
strategy  in  war.  The  army  that  takes  the  offensive  and 
keeps  the  other  army  on  the  defensive  always  has  the 
advantage.  The  same  is  true  in  salesmanship.  Napoleon 
said  to  his  generals  one  night:  "In  the  morning  we  at- 
tack the  Austrians  at  this  point,"  naming  a  certain 
point.  "They  will  retreat  to  this  point,"  naming  another 
point.  "We  will  meet  them  there  and  defeat  them." 
This  is  applying  the  idea  in  war.  The  successful  sales- 
man is  the  one  who  manages  an  interview,  takes  the 
oiYensive  and  keeps  his  prospect  on  the  defensive. 

The  Principle  The  philosophy  of  salesmanship  is  the 
Explained  philosophy  of  leadership,  and  the  phil- 

osophy of  leadership  always  consists  in 
keeping  your  prospect  on  the  defensive.     When  a  pros- 


Akoustnct  Interest  1^1 

pect  asks  you  when  you  can  make  a  delivery  he  asks 
you  to  make  a  decision  for  him  and  that  leaves  him  open 
to  do  just  as  he  pleases  about  accepting  it,  although  the 
prospect  may  not  understand  the  tactics  involved.  When 
he  asks  the  question  he  becomes  the  leader  and  you  are 
on  the  defensive.  Yotir  business  as  a  leader  and  as  a 
salesman  is  not  to  permit  him  to  lead  you  into  a  corner. 
And  when  he  does  do  that  you  must  know  how  to  assume 
the  offensive  and  tactfully  place  him  on  the  defensive. 
You  do  that  by  answering  his  question  by  asking  him 
another  one.  He  asks  you  to  make  a  decision  that  will 
leave  him  free  to  act.  You  change  the  tactics  by  asking 
him  to  make  a  decision,  leaving  you  free  to  take  imme- 
diate advantage  of  his  decision. 

Let  us  analyze  this  problem.  It  is  a  law  of  psychology 
that  every  idea  that  enters  the  mind  immediately  tends 
to  express  itself  in  action  unless  another  idea  coming 
from  an  opposite  direction  opposes  it.  As  he  heard  the 
automobile  described,  this  man  undoubtedly  said  to  him- 
self:  "This  is  a  fine  car.  I  believe  I  would  like  to  own 
it."  Then,  suddenly,  he  expressed  this  desire  by  asking 
the  question:  ''How  soon  could  you  deliver  it?"  In- 
stead of  giving  the  prospect  an  opportunity  to  act  im- 
mediately upon  the  feeling  that  is  uppermost  in  his  mind, 
the  salesman,  by  answering  his  question,  eliminated  the 
idea  of  buying  and  substituted  for  it  that  of  delivery. 
The  prospect's  mind  was  on  a  direct  line  for  the  bull's 
eye  when  the  salesman,  unconsciously  and  immediately, 
turned  it  off  on  a  tangent  and  lost  the  sale  by  injecting 
an  irrelevant  proposition. 


122  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

How  to  Hold      A  man  representing  a  publishing  house 
Curiosity  came  into  my  office  one  day  and  painted 

a  beautiful  word  picture  of  a  series  of 
pamphlets  which  he  had  prepared  and  printed  for  manu- 
facturers to  distribute  to  their  sales  force.  The  presen- 
tation was  attractive,  but  lacked  the  force  to  make  the 
sale  because  of  the  absence  of  visionary  realism.  He  had 
a  well  prepared  outfit  with  him.  Just  as  I  began  to 
wonder  what  the  pamphlets  looked  like,  he  produced 
from  a  neatly  arranged  grip  the  entire  series  and  spread 
them  out  in  an  imposing  way  across  my  desk.  What 
was  the  result?  Naturally,  I  had  nothing  left  but  ad- 
miration for  the  layout,  the  excellence  of  which  I  had  to 
admit  even  though  I  did  not  place  an  immediate  order. 
It  is  the  impression  a  salesman  leaves  which  counts,  and 
samples  are  a  great  help  provided  he  builds  a  desire  to 
see  them  before  he  uncovers  his  display. 

The  Family  There  are  five  family  factors  to  be  con- 
Interests  sidered  in  selling.  Father  thinks  in 
terms  of  the  check  book.  Mother  thinks 
in  terms  of  the  children's  opportunities.  Daughter 
thinks  of  a  happy  marriage  and  social  opportunities. 
The  son  thinks  in  terms  of  speed,  travel,  get  up  and  go. 
Then  there  is  a  fifth  factor — the  pet  of  the  family.  It 
may  be  a  victrola,  a  horse,  automobile  or  bank  account. 
Keep  these  five  factoj-s  in  mind  constantly  when  adver- 
tising or  selling.  Salesmen  should  always  bear  in  mind 
that  every  normal  man  is  more  or  less  under  the  influence 
of  a  woman — mother,  wife,  sister,  daughter  or  sweet- 
heart, whose  desires  powerfully  aflfect  his  decisions,  es- 
pecially in  such  matters  as  buying  a  home,  life  insurance 
or  an  automobile. 


CONVICTION 


Conviction  is  the  Result 

of  the  Operation  of 
Mental  Understanding 


Persuasion  is  the  Result 
of  Operation  of  Will  or 
Feelings 


CX)NVICTION  IS 
SECURED  FROM 
ACT  OF  CONVIN- 
CING OF  ERROR 


CONVICTION  IS 
SECURED  FROM 
COMPELLING  AD- 
MISSION OF 
TRUTH 


PERSUASION  IS 
ACQUIESCENCE 
OF  INCLINATION 


PERSUASION  IS 
EASILY  AFFECTED 
BY  CONFIDENCE 


PRESENT 
EVIDENCE 

THEN 

APPEAL  TO 

MOTIVE 


Convince  Understanding, 

Thereby  Getting  Consent 

Of  the  Will  to  Act 


Persuade  Emotions 

and  Induce  Feelings  to 

.  Control  Will 


CHART  XVII.     PRODUCING  CONVICTION 
124 


CHAPTER  XV 

PRODUCING  CONVICTION 

Producing  Coiivictioti  is  the  heart  and  center  of  the 
Conviction  Mental  Law  of  Sale.  If  you  fail  here  you 
will  fail  entirely,  unless  your  appeal  to  the 
emotions  is  strong  enough  to  create  desire  in  spite  of 
youf  lack  of  evidence.  What  do  we  mean  by  conviction, 
and  how  do  we  bring  it  about?  We  have  asked  two 
very  hard  questions  and  we  will  try  to  answer  them 
satisfactorily. 

Conviction     "Conviction  is  the  result  of  the  operation 
Defined  of  the  understanding  and  persuasion  of  the 

will.  Conviction  is  a  necessity  of  the  mind 
and  persuasion  an  acquiescence  of  the  inclination." 
Blackstone,  the  legal  authority,  says:  ''Conviction  may 
accrue  in  two  ways,  either  by  the  act  of  convincing  of 
error,  or  compelling  the  admission  of  a  truth;  confuta- 
tion.'* To  convince  is  an  act  of  the  understanding;  to 
persuade  of  the  will  or  feelings."  Therefore,  a  man 
must  know  how  to  manipulate  the  understanding  in 
order  to  produce  conviction.  "The  one  is  ailfected  by  ar- 
gument ;  the  other  by  motives.  There  are  cases,  how- 
ever, in  which  persuasion  may  seem  to  be  used  in  refer- 
ence only  to  the  assent  of  the  understanding,  as  when 
We  say,  *I  am  persuaded,  it  is  so  and  so;  I  cannot  per- 
suade myself  of  the  fact.'  But  in  such  instances  there 
is  usually  or  always  a  degree  of  awakened  feeling  which 
has  had  its  share  in  producing  the  assent  of  the  under- 
standing.*' The  foregoing  may  seem  a  little  technical  to 
some  so  we  will  try  to  make  it  clearer. 

125 


126  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Two  Methods         There  are  just  two  methods  by  means 
of  Producing  of  which  we  can  induce  a  man  to  act, 

Mental  Action  and  action  is  what  we  want  in  sales- 
manship. One  is  to  convince  his  un- 
derstanding and  his  judgment  and  thereby  get  the  con- 
sent of  his  will  to  act.  The  other  is  by  inducing  his 
feelings  to  control  his  will,  and  therefore  his  actions. 
The  first  method  produces  convinction  through  evidence. 
The  second  method  creates  desire  through  an  appeal  to 
the  emotions. 

Evidence        The  problem  of  producing  conviction  is  one 
Must  be  of  the  greatest  in  all  salesmanship.    This  is 

Organized  true  because  the  reason  and  judgment  must 
be  satisfied.  It  is  one  thing  to  have  ideas, 
but  it  is  another  matter  to  organize  them  and  still  some- 
thing quite  different  to  present  them  in  such  a  way  as  to 
meet  the  demands  of  reason  and  judgment.  Let  us  illus- 
trate. Suppose  I  asked  a  grocer  for  two  pounds  of  sugar 
and  he  placed  the  weights  on  his  old-fashioned  scales  to 
weigh  the  amount  I  wanted.  But  what  if  he  stood  ten 
feet  away  and  tossed  the  weights  instead  of  placing  them 
properly.  The  chances  are  that  one  or  more  would  fall 
off,  and  thus  offset  the  weight  of  the  sugar.  So  it  is 
with  evidence.  If  it  is  disorganized  and  thrown  at  the 
mind,  it  certainly  will  not  satisfy  the  judgment  and  pro- 
duce conviction.  One  lawyer  gets  $2500  for  arguing  a 
case  before  a  jury.  Another  gets  $25.00.  The  one 
knows  how  to  analyze,  organize  and  present  his  evidence. 
The  other  does  not.  The  same  thing  Is  true  in  salesman- 
ship. A  mining  company  asked  the  most  prominent 
lawyer  in  a  great  city  to  take  its  case.     The  lawyer 


Producing  Conviction  127 

told  them  he  would  accept  the  case,  providing  they  gave 
him  a  year  to  prepare  it.  They  consented.  He  imme- 
diately left  his  practice,  went  to  Harvard  and  enrolled  in 
a  mining  engineering  course.  He  studied  night  and  day 
and  finished  the  three  year  course  in  nine  months.  He 
came  back,  won  the  case  and  was  paid  a  fee  of  $350,000. 
Big  lawyers,  big  business  men,  big  salesmen  go  to  the 
bottom  of  every  proposition,  and  that  is  the  reason  they 
later  go  to  the  top. 

Effect  of  Pay  particular  attention  to  the  word  judg- 
Judgment  ment.  Don't  you  know  that  judgment  is 
on  Success  one  of  the  greatest  causes  of  success  or 
failure  in  salesmanship  and  in  life?  I  knew 
a  man  to  refuse  a  position  that  would  have  paid  him 
$500.00  per  month  when  his  time  was  not  worth  $100.00, 
simply  because  he  thought  someone  he  did  not  like  might 
make  a  little  profit  out  of  his  work.  His  judgment  did 
not  dictate  but  his  prejudice  did.  Men  will  make  im- 
portant decisions  based  upon  prejudice,  jealousy,  spite, 
hatred,  like  or  dislike  and  numerous  other  negative  qual- 
ities. But  just  as  surely  as  a  man  disregards  judgment 
when  he  makes  a  decision,  he  is  heading  straight  toward 
the  rocky  reefs  of  destruction.  You  must  take  this  into 
consideration  when  making  a  sale. 

Judgment  But  let  us  go  back  to  judgment.  How  do 
Defined  we  form  a  judgment?    Judgment  is  "That 

act  of  the  mind  by  which  two  notions  or 
ideas  which  are  apprehended  as  distinct  are  compared, 
for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  their  agreement  or  dis- 
agreement.   It  is  that  power  or  faculty  by  which  knowl- 


128  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

edge,  dependent  upon  comparison  and  discrimination,  is 
acquired.  It  is  the  act  of  Judging,'  the  operation  of  the 
mind  involving  comparison  and  discrimination,  by  which 
the  knowledge  o£  the  values  and  relations  of  things, 
whether  of  moral  qualities,  intellectual  concepts,  logical 
pfOpositions  of  material  facts  are  obtained." 


Judgment  Comparison   is  the  basis   of   judgment. 

Based  on  You    must     compare    one    thing    with 

Comparison  another  in  order  to  arrive  at  a  decision. 
In  order  to  do  that  you  must  exercise 
feason.  We  notice  then  that  comparison  is  the  basis  of 
reason  as  well  as  of  judgment.  You  cannot  reason  or 
think  about  an  idea  unless  you  have  some  other  idea  to 
Compare  with  it.  Your  judgment  will  not  only  be  based 
upon  reasoti  but  upon  your  past  experieiice.  If  we  ask 
you  to  pass  judgment  on  a  horse,  your  opinion  will  be 
valued  in  accordance  with  your  previous  knowledge  of 
horses.  If  we  ask  for  your  views  in  regard  to  a  suit  of 
clothes,  a  farm  or  a  business  policy,-  the  value  of  your 
Conclusions  will  depend  upon  your  previous  experience, 
and  youf  ability  to  make  accurate  deductions,  as  well  as 
upon  your  reasoning  powers.  The  most  important  work 
of  executives  is  making  decisions.  These  decisions  are 
based  upon  judgment,  and  judgment  is  founded  upon  in- 
formation and  experience.  We  do  not  expect  even  ex- 
ecutive judgment  to  be  one  hundred  per  cent  efficient. 
It  is  not.  An  efficiency  test  has  shown  it  to  average 
seventy-three,  while  the  human  average  is  forty-one. 
"In  a  class  of  typists  seeking  work  not  one  made  over 
fifty-seven/* 


Prodixtxg  Coxvtction-  1?9 

Poor  Judgment      Here  is  an  illustration  of  poor  judg- 
Illustrated  ment.    It  may  show  how  the  power  to 

decide  mzy  be  developed.  A  country 
storekeeper  bought  a  ton  and  a  half  of  raisins.  The  town 
he  lived  in  had  a  population  of  only  500.  Had  he  con- 
sulted either  his  reason,  judgment  or  the  needs  of  the 
town  he  would  have  known  that  he  was  overbuying. 
He  evidently  did  neither.  He  put  nearly  all  the  raisins 
down  in  the  cellar  and  they  spoiled.  At  another  time  he 
laid  in  enough  window  curtains  to  do  the  community  for 
five  years.  No  wonder  he  did  not  make  money.  The 
man  who  sold  him  apparently  did  not  need  to  consider 
bis  judgment.  He  simply  overpersutided  him.  Appar- 
ently the  merchant  had  little  buying  judgment  to  which 
to  appeal.  But  a  salesman  who  will  overload  a  retailer 
to  the  buyer's  evident  loss,  and  the  wholesale  house  tha^ 
will  fill  such  an  order,  are  both  guilty  of  legal  robbery. 
The  salesman  who  profits  most  in  the  end  is  the  one  who 
serves  faithfully  and  gives  the  best  expert  advice. 

Truth  the       If  the  basis  of  your  argument  or  selling 
Basis  of  talk  is  wrong,  your  conclusion  will  be  er- 

Confidence  roneous,  and  your  work  will  end  in  failure. 
Analyze  your  statements.  See  that  they  are 
true.  Honesty  leads  to  success.  A  very  able  salesman 
has  offered  this  advice  and  it  is  pertinent  here.  ^^You 
must  win  a  man's  confidence,  but  you  will  never  gain  it 
by  lying.  You  must  tell  him  the  truth.  But  what  good 
will  it  do  to  be  truthful  when  he  doesn't  know  it?  Tell 
him  something  he  absolutely  knows  is  true  and  then  he 
will  believe  the  rest." 


130  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Conviction     This   may   seem   like   a   long   and   difficult 
Vitally  discussion  on  the  subject  of  conviction,  but 

Important  it  is  absolutely  essential  in  order  to  do  jus- 
tice to  the  subject  and 'be  fair  with  the 
student.  It  will  require  a  good  deal  of  study.  From  the 
time  you  get  your  man  interested  until  he  is  thoroughly 
convinced  he  will  offer  a  great  many  objections,  and  it 
will  be  difficult  to  bring  his  mind  back  to  the  arrow.  But 
evidence  as  to  the  value  of  the  goods  will  do  it. 

Conviction  Some  will  say  that  if  we  have  already  pro- 
and  Desire  duced  conviction  we  must  of  necessity  have 
Contrasted  created  desire.  But  that  is  not  always  true. 
I  may  be  persuaded  that  a  threshing 
machine  is  a  good  thing  and  still  not  want  it.  I  may 
be  satisfied  that  a  certain  automobile  is  first  class  and 
not  care  to  own  it  because  I  am  not  convinced  that  it  is 
to  my  advantage..  I  may  know  that  a  particular  retail 
business  is  profitable,  and  still  not  think  of  buying  it. 
And  yet  conviction  and  desire  are  so  closely  related  that 
in  many  cases  they  seem  almost  inseparable. 

Conviction  In  many  cases  an  individual  desires  an 

Must  Precede     article  as  soon  as  he  is  convinced  that  it 
Desire  is   worth   while   and   to   his   advantage. 

But  even  then  the  conviction  precedes 
the  desire,  if  only  by  a  small  fraction  of  time.  I  want 
to  make  this  matter  so  clear  that  there  will  be  no  mis- 
understanding. You  produce  conviction  by  satisfying 
reason  and  judgment.  You  create  desire  by  appealing 
to  the  emotions.  Evidence  must,  therefore,  precede 
persuasion.     Some  advertising  men  entirely  ignore  evi- 


Producing  Conviction  131 

dence  and  strive  only  to  arouse  feeling.  Even  if  this 
method  were  100  per  cent  effective,  which  it  is  not,  it 
would  be  dangerous,  because  by  it  you  might  persuade 
a  man  to  pay  one  thousand  dollars  for  an  article  worth 
only  one  hundred. 

Reasoning  Comparison  forms  the  basis  of  both  judg- 
Power  ment   and   reasoning.     We   use  oak  as   a 

Analyzed  standard  in  judging  hard  woods.  We  com- 
pare a  good  orator  with  Bryan.  We  con- 
trast hotels.  We  measure  one  line  of  goods  with 
another.  We  compare  two  ideas  and  therefore  get  rea- 
sons for  forming  a  judgment.  We  examine  two  more 
ideas  and  get  reasons  for  reaching  another  decision.  We 
then  take  the  final  judgments  and  analyze  them.  We 
again  have  additional  reasons  for  making  or  forming  a 
later  judgment. 

Reason  Reason  is  "the  faculty  or  capacity  of  the 
Defined  human  mind  by  which  it  is  distinguished  from 
the  intelligence  of  the  lower  animals ;  the  high- 
er as  distinguished  from  the  lower  cognitive  faculties, 
sense,  imagination  and  memory,  and  In  contrast  to  the 
feelings  and  desires.  Reason  comprises  conception,  judg- 
n.ent,  reasoning  and  the  Intuitional  faculty.  We  have  no 
other  faculties  of  perceiving  or  knowing  anything,  divine 
or  human,  but  by  our  five  senses  and  our  reason." 

"Due  exercise  of  the  reasoning  faculty;  accordance 
with,  or  that  which  is  accordant  with  and  ratified  by,  the 
mind  rightly  exercised;  right  intellectual  judgment;  clear 
and  fair  deductions  from  true  principles;  that  which  is 


132  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

dictated  or  supported  by  the  common  sense  of  mankind ; 
right  conduct;  right  propriety,*  justice." 

"To  exercise  the  rational  faculties ;  to  deduce  infer- 
ences from  premises;  to  perform  the  process  of  induct- 
ion or  deduction;  to  reach  conclusions  by  a  systematic 
comparison  of  facts." 

Two  Kinds  Before  we  finish  this  subject  of  convic- 
of  Reasoning  tion  we  must  go  one  step  further  with 
the  subject  of  reason.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  reason — inductive  and  deductive.  We  simply 
wish  to  define  them. 

Inductive  Inductive  reasoning  is  "the  act  or  process 
Reasoning  of  reasoning  from  a  part  to  a  whole,  fr6m 
particulars  to  generals,  or  from  the  indi- 
vidual to  the  universal."  John  Stuart  Mill  says :  "Induc- 
tion is  the  process  by  which  we  conclude  that  what  is 
true  of  certain  individuals  of  a  class,  is  true  of  the  whole 
class,  or  that  what  is  true  at  certain  times  will  be  true  in 
sin^ilar  circumstances  at  all  tinies."  .  It  is  "a  process  of 
demonstration  in  which  a  general  truth  is  gathered  from 
an  examination  of  particular  cases,  one  of  which  is 
known  to  be  true."  In  induction  we  observe  a  sufficient 
number  of  individual  facts,  and  on  the  ground  of  anal- 
ogy%  extend  what  is  true  of  them  to  others  of  the  same 
class,  thus  arriving  at  general  principles  or  laws.  ThiP 
is  the  kind  of  reasoning*  in  physical  science. 

Deductive      "In   deduction    we   begin   with    a   general 
Reasoning     truth,  which  is  already  proven  or  provision- 
ally assumed  and  seek  to  connect  it  with 
some  particular  case  by  means  of  a  middle  term  or  class 


Producing  Conviction  133 

of  objects  known  to  be  equally  connected  with  both. 
Thus  we  bring  down  the  general  into  the  particular, 
affirming  of  the  latter,  the  distinctive  qualities  of  the 
former.  This  is  the  syllogistic  method.  By  induction 
Franklin  established  the  identity  of  lightning  and  elec- 
tricity. By  deduction  he  inferred  that  dwellings  might 
be  protected  by  lightning  rods." 

Deductive  We  wish  to  give  two  illustrations  of  deduct- 
Logic  ive  logic.     The  first  is  true — the  second  is 

not,  but  they  are  both  logical.  Logic  is  the 
science  of  correct  reasoning.  But  logic  does  not  stop  to 
ask  whether  a  statement  is  true  or  false. 

Here  is  the  first  syllogism: 

Man  Is  mortal. 

Harding  is  a  man. 

Therefore,  Harding  is  mortal. 

You  see  our  first  statement  or  premise  is  correct, 
therefore,  the  conclusion  is  correct. 

Here  is  another: 

Every  salesman  is  rich. 

You  are  a  salesman. 

Therefore,  you  are  rich. 

Our  first  premise  Is  fallacious,  and  for  that  reason 
the  conclusion  is  erroneous. 

Illustration  One  of  America's  most  successful  lec- 
from  the  turers,    who    was    for    several   years    a 

Lecturer  teacher  of  oratory,  once  said:    "No  lec- 

turer can  prepare  a  good  lecture  In  less 
than  two  years — a  lecture  that  will  stand  the  test  and 
win  popular   favor/*     A   lecture  is   after  all   simply  a 


134  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

successful  selling  talk  on  a  vital  subject.  If  a  lecturer 
must  spend  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  years  in  getting 
ready,  so  he  can  command  a  fee  of  one  hundred  dollars 
a  night,  how  do  you  expect  to  win  maximum  success  as 
a  salesman  by  devoting  only  a  few  days,  or  at  best, 
several  weeks,  to  preparation? 

Scientific  The  first  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  pre- 

Arguments  pare  your  material.  The  next  step  is  to 
Get  Business  analyze  and  organize  it.  You  must  re- 
member that  your  customer's  mind  may 
be  a  blank  to  your  proposition.  If  you  would  create  a 
perfectly  clear  picture  in  his  mind,  that  picture  must 
first  stand  out  distinctly  in  your  own  thought.  If  the 
facts  and  ideas  you  have  assembled  are  a  hodge-podge, 
your  prospect  will  get  a  muddy,  hodge-podge  impression, 
which,  of  course,  will  neither  create  desire  nor  produce 
conviction.  One  hundred  trained  warriors  can  defeat  a 
mob  of  five  hundred,  even  though  the  men  are  as  well 
armed  as  the  soldiers.  An  expert  salesman  has  his  ideas 
and  information  as  compactly  organized  as  an  army. 
The  untrained  salesman  operates  in  "mob  formation." 

Necessity  Before  you  approach  your  customer  you 

for  must  have  your  arguments  logically  ar- 

Preparation  ranged  so  that  they  stand  out  as  clear  as 
crystal  in  your  own  mind.  If  an  objec- 
tion comes  up,  dispose  of  it  at  once.  Make  your  presen- 
tation so  clear  and  convincing  that  it  will  anticipate  and 
answer  questions  before  they  can  be  asked. 


Producing  Conviction  135 

Value  of  Every  salesman  should  have  a  number 

Illustrations  of  good  illustrations  for  each  selling 
point.  When  you  hear  a  pertinent  story, 
jot  it  down.  I  have  carried  a  note  book  for  years.  It 
has  been  most  valuable  to  me.  These  chapters  could 
not  have  been  prepared  without  it.  I  have  not  only  used 
it  to  keep  a  record  of  the  valuable  ideas  of  others  but 
also  to  capture  my  own  ideas.  Every  man  will  originate 
a  good  idea  occasionally.  When  one  comes,  make  a  note 
of  it.  If  you  will  follow  this  method  carefully  for  a 
year,  it  will  greatly  enrich  your  mind  and  increase  your 
efficiency.  It  is  said  that  the  late  Bishop  Vincent's 
wonderful  lectures  and  sermons  grew  out  of  this  method. 
The  man  who  gets  the  notebook  habit  will  make  himself 
superior  to  the  one  who  does  not.  And  the  man  who 
studies  and  works  intelligently  will  be  successful.  Noth- 
ing happens  by  Chance.  There  is  a  logical  reason  for 
everN^thing.  Roger  Babson,  the  statistician,  says  four 
per  cent  of  the  men  of  this  country  do  ninety-five  per 
cent  of  the  thinking,  planning  and  managing.  Make  it 
your  business  to  discover  the  difference  between  the  four 
per  cent  and  the  ninety-six  per  cent.  Know.  Do  not 
guess. 

Explanation       "Every  salesman  knows  the  value  of  the 
the  Proof  actual     demonstration — of     having     his 

goods  on  the  ground  so  that  the  prospect 
can  see  and  feel  and  understand.  Give  your  man  a  def- 
inite idea  of  your  proposition.  Picture  the  article,  its 
use  and  its  advantages  so  vividly  that  he  can  see  it.  But 
your  prospective  customer  must  have  proof  of  your 
statement.     Proof  or  argument   follows  logically  after 


136  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

explanation.  Its  object  is  to  create  desire.  It  is  not 
enough  to  give  your  prospect  an  idea  of  the  nature,  or 
working  principles  of  the  thing  you  are  selling  him. 
You  must  reinforce  these  by  arguments,  proving  to  him 
the  advantage  of  the  purchase,  the  saving  that  he  will 
effect  in  his  business,  the  increased  efficiency  he  can  at- 
tain in  his  work,  and  the  pleasure  he  will  derive  from 
owning  what  you  are  offering.  Proof  may  be  presented 
by  showing  the  satisfaction  which  the  article  has  given 
to  other  buyers  or  by  some  novel  demonstration  of  its 
quality  and  value. 

Example  of  Lincoln  took  up  the  study  of  geometry 
Lincoln  when  in  the  midst  of  a  busy  life  in  order 

that  he  might  learn  how  to  prove  a 
proposition.  One  of  the  greatest  advertising  men  in  the 
country  made  a  careful  study  of  Jevon's  text  on  logic 
in  order  to  become  a  more  logical  reasoner.  Success 
depends  upon  our  tools,  and  the  way  we  use  them. 

Believe  in  Boil  down  what  you  have  to  say.     Re- 

Your  Goods  member  that  ideas  sell  goods  always,  but 
long  drawn-out  words  never  do.  Be 
brief  and  to  the  point.  Try  your  best  to  make  your  saU 
at  the  first  interview.  First  sell  the  article  to  yourself. 
Believe  in  it,  Believe  in  your  company.  Cultivate  self* 
confidence.  Be  full  of  conviction.  Determine  always 
to  make  the  sale  now.  Let  your  attitude  be  one  of  pos" 
itive  affirmation.  Radiate  what  George  Eliot  called  "an 
energetic  certitude  and  a  fervent  trust.** 


Producing  CoNvtcTtoN  13? 

Business  Personal  interest  is  the  controlling  motive 
for  Profit  in  man's  life.  Proof  of  this  is  seen  in  the 
fact  that  the  prosperity  argument  controls 
a  national  election.  A  man  is  in  business  for  profit.  As 
soon  as  you  show  him  that  your  proposition  will  benefit 
him  in  some  way,  you  have  given  him  the  main  reason 
for  buying.  Your  business  is  to  understand  his  needs, 
as  well  as  your  proposition,  so  that  you  can  clearly  dem- 
onstrate to  him  the  advantage  of  what  you  have  to  sell. 

Conviction  After  a  man  is  convinced  that  a  particular 
Precedes  article  is  a  good  thing  the  next  step  is  for 
Desire  him  to  desire  it.     Many  salesmen  attempt 

to  jump  from  interest  to  desire  without 
trying  to  convince  their  prospect.  That  Is  a  fatal  mis- 
take, as  conviction  must  precede  desire. 

How  to  Merely  pounding  away  at  a  man  will  not 

Convince       convince  him.    To  impress  a  man  you  must 
make  him  believe  what  you  believe.    To  do 
this  you  must  give  him  the  same  evidence  which  com- 
pelled your  own  conviction. 

Logical  Logical  evidence  produces  conviction.    Can 

Evidence  you  so  express  your  thought  that  your  cus- 
tomer will  see  the  same  mental  picture  you 
see  and  feel  the  same  conviction  you  feel?  We  convert 
men  to  believe  as  we  believe,  not  by  urging  them,  but  by 
giving  them  the  evidence,  the  reasons,  in  such  vivid 
language,  so  logically  arranged,  so  skillfully  organized 
and  grouped  and  with  so  much  burning  enthusiasm  that 
they  appeal  to  the  imagination,  the  mind's  eye,  as  vividly 
as  a  work  of  art  appeals  to  the  human  eye. 


138  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Orders  Lost       Do  not  try  to  get  an  order  until  you  have 
by  Failure  your   prospective    purchaser    convinced, 

to  Convince  Thousands  of  sales  are  lost  by  disregard- 
ing this  rule.  If  you  do  get  the  order 
before  your  customer  is  thoroughly  convinced,  he  may 
back  out  later.  When  a  man  is  under  the  power  of 
conviction  he  is  bound  to  act.    Convince  him. 

Conviction  Many  insurance  men  are  bores  not  because 
In  Selling  they  are  not  familiar  with  their  business, 
Insurance  but  because  they  do  not  understand  the 
human  mind.  They  continually  say: 
"Take  some  insurance;  you  ought  to  have  some  insur- 
ance." They  might  as  well  go  out  and  bay  at  the  moon. 
They  do  not  seem  to  realize  that  the  prospect's  mind 
may  be  as  blank  as  a  painter's  canvas  before  the  painter 
applies  the  brush.  The  insurance  man  must  learn  how 
to  sketch  the  picture  of  insurance  on  the  mind  of  his 
customer  with  as  much  skill  as  the  artist  uses  in  produc- 
ing a  painting. 

He  paints  in  brilliant  colors  the  customer's  duties  to 
his  wife  and  family.  He  draws  in  bold  lines  the  value 
of  his  particular  policy.  Stroke  by  stroke  he  fills  in  the 
details  until  finally  his  prospect  clearly  sees  his  need  for 
insurance. 

Value  of  A  clothing  salesman  from  Northern  Mis- 
Confidence  souri  telephoned  to  a  merchant  in  Southern 
Iowa  that  he  was  coming  up  to  see  him. 
The  merchant  replied  that  there  was  no  use  in  making 
the  trip  as  he  had  just  bought  all  he  needed.  His  bill 
amounted  to   $200.00.     This   salesman   understood   the 


Producing  Conviction  139 

Mental  Law  of  Sale  and  he  came  anyway.  I  wanted  to 
sell  this  merchant  a  cash  register,  and  finally  did,  but 
when  I  went  into  his  store  he  was  busy  with  the  sales- 
man whom  he  had  telephoned  not  to  come.  I  waited 
half  a  day  before  I  could  see  my  prospect.  When  the 
salesman  got  through  I  asked  him  how  much  his  sale 
amounted  to  and  he  replied:  "Six  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars."  What  had  done  it?  A  good  personality  and 
the  Mental  Law  of  Sale,  for  he  admitted  to  me  that  his 
goods  were  no  better  than  those  of  his  competitors. 

After  the  salesman  left  I  thought  I  would  find  out 
from  the  merchant  just  why  he  had  bought  so  heavily, 
when  he  had  not  intended  to  buy  anything,  so  I  remarked 
to  him :  "That  salesman  is  a  very  nice  fellow,  isn't  he  ?" 
The  merchant  replied:  "He  certainly  is.  He  is  the  fin- 
est traveling  man  that  makes  this  town."  You  see,  he 
had  the  merchant's  confidence,  and  confidence  is  the 
cornerstone  of  success  in  both  salesmanship  and  busi- 
ness. This  merchant  felt  that  the  salesman  was  square, 
that  he  was  honest,  and  that  he  was  interested  in  his 
customer's  success. 

Evidence  This    chapter    would    not    be    complete 

and  How  without  a  short  discussion  on  the  subject 
to  Use  It  of  evidence.  Evidence  is  that  which  is 
"clear  to  the  understanding  and  satisfactory 
to  the  judgment."  Hume  says :  "To  conform  our  lan- 
guage more  to  common  use,  we  ought  to  divide  argu- 
ments into  demonstrations,  proofs,  and  probabilities;  by 
proofs  meaning  such  arguments  from  experience  as  leave 
no  room  for  doubt  or  opposition." 


140  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


Evidence  There  are  two  kinds  of  evidence,  vi^., 

Illustrated  evidence  v^hich  is  sworn  to  by  eye  wit- 

nesses, or  direct  evidence;  and  circum- 
stantial evidence.  The-  following  will  illustrate  the 
meaning  of  the  latter.  Part  of  a  bolt  of  a  peculiar  col- 
ored silk,  forty  inches  wide,  was  stolen  from  a  store.  A 
certain  residence  was  searched  and  what  seemed  to  be 
the  missing  silk  was  found,  but  the  occupant  of  the 
house  declared  that  he  had  bought  it  in  another  town. 
This  was  found  to  be  untrue,  because  the  silk  in  the 
other  store  was  thirty-six  inches  wide,  while  this  par- 
ticular bolt  was  forty  inches  in  width  and  of  a  different 
color.  These  discrepancies  constituted  circumstantial 
evidence.  Inasmuch  as  the  silk  did  not  match  any- 
thing in  the  second  store  the  inference  was  that  it  be- 
longed in  the  first  store. 

Evidence        Here  is  the  way  I  have  used  evidence  in 
Applied  selling   National   Cash   Registers.      I   have 

made  a  demonstration  and  shown  how 
valuable  the  Register  would  be  to  the  merchant ;  then 
shown  a  list  of  recommendations  and  said:  '*If  what  I 
have  said  is  true  and  what  these  people  say  is  true,  it 
would  be  to  your  financial  advantage  to  have  this  Reg- 
ister, would  it  not?"  "Yes,  but  how  do  I  know  it  is 
true?"  asks  the  merchant.  "Mr.  Blank,  here  is  a  list  of 
merchants  who  use  this  kind  of  a  register  and  who  live 
within  twenty  miles  of  here.  I  will  make  you  this  prop- 
osition: visit  any  or  all  of  these  merchants.  If  they 
tell  you  their  registers  are  as  profitable  to  them  as  they 
have  indicated  in  their  endorsements,  and  even  more  so, 
you  can  afford  the  trip,  because  it  is  to  /our  financial 


Producing  Convictiox  141 


advantage  to  be  sure.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are 
not  so  enthusiastic  as  I  have  indicated,  or  if  they  tell 
you  their  registers  are  not  so  profitable  as  I  have  tried 
to  make  you  believe,  then  I  will  pay  your  car  fare  and 
$10.00  a  day  for  your  time,  That  is  fair,  isn't  it?  In 
the  face  of  my  offer  you  cannot  afiford  to  turn  this 
proposition  down."  You  see,  my  proposition  establishes 
the  confidence  that  might  otherwise  be  lacking. 

The  evidence  which  I  have  to  offer  comes  from  a 
multitude  of  merchants  similarly  situated.  The  evidence 
is  absolute,  and  no  man  or  group  of  men  could  or  would 
ignore  it  in  any  court  of  law  in  the  land.  And  when  a 
man  does  ignore  it,  he  prostitutes  reason  and  judgment. 
He  admits  he  is  not  considering  the  proposition  on  the 
basis  of  intelligence  ancj  profit,  unless  he  has  3ome  par- 
ticular reason  for  not  buying. 

Very  few  salesmen,  advertising  men  and  letter  writ- 
ing specialists  are  clear  reasoners.  Those  who  are  svic- 
cessful  have  spent  years  in  perfecting  themselves.  Every 
student  of  this  book  should  get  a  copy  of  "Logic"  by 
Jevons,  and  master  it. 

The  author  says,  "Logic  teaches  us  to  reason  well, 
and  reasoning  gives  us  knowledge,  and  knowledge,  as 
Bacon  said,  is  power.  Logic  is  the  science  of  reasoning 
and  enables  us  to  distinguish  between  the  good  reason- 
ing which  leads  to  truth  and  the  bad  reasoning  which 
every  day  betrays  people  into  error  and  misfortune." 

You-  may  never  expect  to  be  a  real  leader  of  men  or 
able  to  exercise  any  great  degree  of  influence  until  you 
become  a  clear  and  logical  reasoner. 


142  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Logic  The   successful   salesman   is  the  one   who 

Precedes        knows    how   to    combine    successfully   the 
Appeal  logical  with  the  emotional  argument.     Re- 

member that  every  proposition  you  present 
must  be  launched  with  a  logical,  reasonable  argument. 
After  that  you  can  make  your  appeal.  Most  people 
want  facts  and  they  base  their  decision  upon  those  facts. 
You  must  marshal  your  evidence,  present  it  clearly  and 
intelligently  and  prove  your  case,  just  as  a  lawyer  does 
before  a  jury,  before  you  can  expect  a  favorable  verdict. 


SUMMARY 


Conviction  is  the  result  of  the  operation  of  the  under- 
standing; persuasion  of  the  will;  conviction  Is  a  necessity 
of  the  mind. 

Conviction  Is  founded  on  evidence;  evidence  so  logi- 
cally organized  and  persuasively  presented  as  to  satisfy 
the  requirements  of  sound  reason  and  procure  favorable 
judgment. 

Judgment  is  a  mental  operation  in  which  facts  are 
weighed,  comparisons  made,  conclusions  reached  and  a 
decision  formed. 

Judgment  is  the  supreme  court  of  the  mind.  It  is 
arrived  at  by  comparison. 

Argument  is  giving  a  man  evidence  that  will  prompt 
him  to  act  of  his  own  volition. 

Reasoning  is  the  mental  process  of  going  from  the 
known  to  the  unknown  by  basing  judgment  upon  judg- 
ment, by  arriving  at  new  beliefs  through  old  beliefs; 
and  is  either  inductive  or  deductive  in  its  manner  of 
proof;  inductive  when  reasoning  from  the  part  to  the 


Producing  Conviction  143 

whole,  and  deductive  when  reasoning  from  the  whole  to 
a  part. 

Analyze  your  statements  and  see  that  they  are  true. 
If  the  basis  of  your  argument  or  selling  talk  is  wrong, 
your  conclusion  will  be  wrong,  and  your  work  will  end 
in  failure. 

It  is  the  constant  wearing  of  the  water  on  the  rocks 
that  makes  them  smooth  and  round:  even  so,  it  is  the 
same  with  a  good  lecture  or  selling  talk. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Define  conviction.     Give  two  ways  it  may  be  pro- 
duced. 

2.  Why  do  people  turn  you  down  when  they  are  ig- 
norant of  a  proposition? 

3.  Discuss  the  plan  of  the  successful  lawyer  in  pre- 
senting his  case  to  the  jury. 

4.  Define  judgment.     Upon  what  is  it  based? 

5.  Contrast  conviction  and  desire. 

6.  Give  an  illustration  of  inductive  reasoning.     Of 
deductive  reasoning. 

7.  What  is  a  premise?   Does  it  always  give  a  correct 
conclusion?     Illustrate. 

8.  What  can  you  say  as  to  the  value  of  good  illus- 
trations, in  a  selling  talk? 

9.  What  are  some  of  the  essentials  necessary  for  the 
successful  salesman,  in  order  to  produce  conviction? 

10.  Just  how  would  you  proceed  to  collect  evidence 
on  any  proposition? 


CREATING 
DESIRE 


Profit 


Utility 


WILLINGNESS  TO  BUY 


CHART  XVIII.     CREATING  DESIRE 
144 


CHAPTER  XVI 

CREATING  DESIRE 

Desire  We  have  seen  that  the  emotion  that  arouses 

Defined  interest  is  entirely  different  from  the  feet- 

ing  that  creates  desire.  One  may  be  inter- 
ested through  curiosity  or  because  the  subject  or  propo- 
sition is  new  and  attractive,  but  still  not  want  it.  Desire 
is  "to  long  for,  to  hanker  after,  request,  solicit,  entreat. 
The  natural  longing  that  is  excited  by  the  enjoyment  or 
the  thought  of  any  good,  and  impels  to  action  or  effort 
for  its  continuance  or  possession ;  an  eager  wish  to  ob- 
tain or  enjoy." 

Creating        When    you    create    desire    and    make    the 
Desire  sale,  you  do  it  because  of  what  the  individ- 

ual thinks  and  feels ;  because  you  have 
made  an  appeal  to  and  satisfied  some  self-interest  motive. 
When  you  fail  to  create  desire  and  therefore  do  not 
make  the  sale,  you  do  so  because  of  what  your  possible 
customer  thinks  and  feels.  You  fail  because  your  appeal 
has  not  touched  the  self-interest  chord  in  his  heart.  You 
cannot  sell  to  an  individual  until  he  is  willing  to  buy, 
because  making  a  purchase  is  voluntary  on  the  part  of 
the  buyer.  A  purchase  is  not  made  until  the  purchaser 
feels  that  he  will  derive  some  kind  of  satisfaction  from 
the  purchase. 

In  planning  a  sale  you  must  decide  upon  two  things : 
first,  what  must  your  prospect  think  and  feel  before  he 
is  willing  to  buy;  and  second,  how  can  you  persuade 
him  to  think  tjiose  thoughts  and  feel  as  you  want  him  to 
feel  ?  The  fir^*  question  that  arises  is,  how  are  you  going 
to  determine  just  what  you  would  like  the  prospect  to 

145 


146  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

think  and  feel?  You  must  study  your  prospect  in  rela- 
tion to  the  advantages  to  him  of  the  purchase.  We  are 
taking  it  for  granted  always,  that  the  proposition  we 
offer  for  sale  is  to  the  advantage  of  the  prospective 
buyer. 

Motives  Some  motive  dictates  the  decision  made  by 
Classified  every  person  in  making  a  purchase.  When 
an  individual  decides  that  he  is  ready  to 
buy,  it  is  because  an  effective  appeal  has  been  made  to 
some  one  of  the  following  motives: 

1.  Profit. 

2.  Pleasure. 

3.  Ambition. 

4.  Caution. 

5.  Fear. 

6.  Love. 

7.  Pride  or  Vanity — the  social  motive. 

8.  Utility  or  Usefulness. 

Sometimes  two  or  more  motives  are  active  in  causing 
the  decision.  But  there  is  usually  one  predominating 
motive. 

Illustrations  Every  wide-awake  business  man  fights 
of  Motives  for  half  of  one  per  cent  profit.     If  you 

can  show  a  business  man  that  money 
invested  in  your  proposition  will  bring  him  a  bigger 
return  than  he  is  now  making,  you  have  given  him  reason 
for  buying.  A  man  may  purchase  a  piece  of  real  estate 
purely  as  an  investment.  In  such  an  instance  the  profit 
motive  dominates.    On  the  other  hand,  he  may  purchase 


Creating  Desire  147 


a  lot  purely  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  home.  Under 
such  circumstances  a  lot  may  be  worth  more  to  one 
person  than  another.  A  man  buys  a  lot  because  some 
of  his  friends  live  in  that  part  of  the  city;  because  the 
school  is  convenient;  because  the  church  he  belongs  to 
is  in  that  community  or  for  some  other  personal  reason. 
In  view  of  these  considerations  he  may  be  willing  to  pay 
more  than  if  he  were  buying  for  purely  business  pur- 
poses. 

In  selling  a  piece  of  real  estate  particularly  for  home 
purposes,  the  motive  that  should  dominate  the  individual 
must  be  thoroughly  understood  or  the  salesman  will  not 
discover  the  controlling  motive  in  that  particular  man's 
mind  that  causes  him  to  make  the  purchase.  In  the 
same  way  the  motive  induces  a  man  to  decline  a  pur- 
chase under  opposite  circumstances.  Motive  is  the  lev- 
erage you  must  use  in  creating  desire.  The  salesman 
who  looks  upon  a  lot  as  simply  a  piece  of  real  estate  to 
be  sold  at  a  profit  to  somebody — anybody,  but  who  has 
never  analyzed  the  big  impelling  motives  of  human  life, 
cannot  be  successful  as  a  salesman. 

Many  automobiles  are  bought  as  a  result  of  the  appeal 
to  pleasure.  On  the  other  hand,  a  high  priced  automobile 
is  often  sold  to  a  man  who  can  afford  only  a  cheap  car. 
He  does  not  buy  the  cheap  car  because  of  pride  or  vanity 
or  the  fear  that  his  friends  will  place  a  low  estimate 
upon  his  ability  and  earning  capacity.  He  buys  a  high 
priced  car  to  advertise  his  prosperity— the  thing  he  does 
not  have.  He  proposes  to  put  up  a  front  even  though  he 
has  nothing  back  of  it.    There  are  many  such  men. 

A  man  insures  his  home,  or  his  business,  because  of 
his  Caution  Motive.    He  does  not  want  to  be  burned  out 


148  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

and  left  with  no  money  to  rebuild.  Caution  prompts 
him  to  insure.  During  the  winter  of  1906  I  opened  an 
office  in  the  biggest  office' building  in  San  Francisco. 
The  management  said  it  was  absolutely  fireproof.  I  was 
cautious  because  of  the  big  fire  the  year  before  in  Balti- 
more. I  took  out  some  fire  insurance  although  they  said 
it  was  unnecessary.  Shortly  after  that  the  city  was 
s\Vept  by  the  great  fire  following  the  earthquake.  The 
building  was  burned  and  everything  in  the  office  de- 
stroyed. A  man  insures  his  life  because  of  the  motives 
of  fear  and  love.    These  are  great  impelling  motives.. 

A  man  learns  of  a  terrible  accident,  like  a  train  wreck. 
It  horrifies  him.  It  arouses  the  feeling  of  fear — the  fear 
that  he  might  be  killed  at  any  moment  and  leave  his 
wife  and  family  to  suffer  for  want  of  money.  So  far 
this  is  a  fear  thought.  As  his  mind  leaves  this  horrible 
specter  of  fear  he  begins  to  think  of  his  wife  and  little 
children  arid  what  they  mean  to  him.  He  loves  them 
more  than  anything  else  in  all  the  wdfld.  He  would 
sacrifice  anything  rather  than  see  them  suffer.  The 
mere  possibility  of  it  makes  him  shudder.  He  comes 
to  a  decision  immediately.  He  says  to  himself,  **I  will 
not  take  a,  chance  of  having  my  wife  and  babies  suffer. 
They  mean  more  to  me  than  all  the  world.  I  will  take 
out*  an  insurance  policy  that  will  amply  protect  them  if 
anything  happens  to  me."  He  acts  upon  this  decision 
and  signs  an  application. 

Here  we  have  a  splendid  illustration  of  contrast,  the 
contrast  of  fear  and  love.  Fear  alone  is  not  enough, 
neither  is  love.  It  takes  both  of  them  working  together 
to  sufficiently  stir  a  number  of  motives  and  emotions. 


Creating  Desire  149 


Great  orators  and  great  salesmen  are  masters  of  con- 
trast. They  furnish  the  material,  the  tactics  and  the 
strategy  that  stirs  the  human  ihind  to  superlative  action. 

I  saw  a  silver  fox  muff  that  cost  the  daughter  of  a 
millionaire  seven  thousand  dollars.  Wouldn't  a  red  fox 
muff  have  lasted  just  as  long  and  been  just  as  service- 
able ?  Did  this  woman  buy  the  muff  simply  to  keep  her 
hands  warm?  Don't  you  think  pride  and  vanity  had 
something  to  do  with  it?  I  also  saw  a  woman's  sable 
cloak  that  cost  $30,000.  Do  you  think  the  utility  motive 
was  the  only  one  that  appealed  to  that  woman?  Don't 
you  think  the  vanity  and  pride  appeal  had  much  more  to 
do  in  making  the  sale  than  the  utility  appeal?  A  daily 
newspaper  in  a  western  city  carried  a  short  story  to  the 
effect  that  the  wife  of  the  president  of  an  eastern  steel 
company  had  just  bought  a  beautiful  fur  cloak  at  a  cost 
of  sixty  thousand  dollars.  It  is  quite  possible  this  wo- 
man, formerly  an  actress,  was  more  interested  in  the 
publicity  she  received  through  owning  the  cloak  than 
she  was  in  the  real  service  she  would  get  from  wearing  it. 

In  buying  some  furniture,  a  typewriter,  an  adding 
machine  or  a  home,  utility  is  the  major  appeal.  In  buy- 
ing a  pair  of  shoes  the  major  motive  should  be  comfort. 
With  young  men  and  women  it  is  style.  Comfort  and 
serviceability  are  quite  secondary. 

Motives  In  order  to  create  desire  the  salesman  must 

Stimulate       arouse  a  motive  and  use  it  as  a  leverage. 
Desire  The  motive  stimulates  desire  and  provides 

a  willingness  to  purchase.  As  soon  as  the 
individual  shows  a  willingness  to  buy,  that  willingness 
should   immediately   be   ripened   into   resolve.    An   indi- 


150  Science  and  Art  op  Selling 

vidual's  motives— his  desire  for  profit,  pleasure,  his  pride, 
caution  and  love  of  what  is  useful — these  things  are 
aUve  and  interesting;  they  furnish  a  strong  leverage; 
they  make  a  vigorous  appeal  and  they  create  desire. 

Salestnan  A  salesman  may  know  his  goods,  he  may 

Must  Know  know  everything  about  them  in  fact,  and 
Motives  still  his  selling  talk  may  be  very  ineffect- 

ive because  he  does  not  know  how  to 
analyze  the  human  mind  and  appeal  to  the  proper  motive. 
The  salesman  who  tries  to  sell  an  article  to  ah  individual 
without  knowing  the  motive  which  should  prompt  that 
individual  to  buy,  is  almost  as  helpless  as  the  salesman 
who  attempts  to  sell  a  book  to  a  man  who  cannot  read, 
or  a  horse  liniment  to  a  man  who  has  no  horses. 

A  Striking  The  following  will  illustrate  this  part  of 

Illustration  the  Law  of  Sale.  A  young  man  came 
into  a  clothing  store  and  asked  the  clerk 
to  show  him  a  $30.00  overcoat.  The  clerk  did  so  but 
without  much  enthusiasm.  After  he  had  tried  on  the 
first  overcoat,  the  clerk  Induced  him  to  put  on  a  $40.00 
garment.  He  then  commenced  to  use  salesmanship.  He 
showed  him  the  second  coat  was  a  better  fit,  better  cloth 
and  better  made,  and  that  it  would  increase  his  standing 
among  his  business  associates.  He  had  the  man  view 
himself  in  the  glass.  Finally  he  said :  '*Come  up  to  the 
fitting  room."  He  did  not  ask  the  customer  if  he  would 
go.  He  did  not  inquire  if  he  intended  to  take  the  coat. 
Such  a  question  would  have  been  a  ^'negative  suggestion" 
and  might  have  killed  the  sale.  He  assumed  that  the 
man  was  going  to  buy.    So  in  starting  to  the  fitting  room 


Creating  Destrk  151 


he  not  only  said  "Come/*  but  he  made  a  gesture  for  the 
man  to  accompany  him,  and  the  prospect  went  right 
along.  The  cutter  measured  the  coat,  taking  it  for 
granted  all  the  time  that  the  man  had  bought  it,  and 
made  suggestions  accordingly.  The  buyer  removed  the 
garment  and  left  it  to  be  altered.  He  paid  $30.00  (all 
he  had  with  him)  and  left,  saying  he  would  bring  the 
amouijt  yet  due  when  he  came  for  the  coat.  That  sales- 
man made  a  ten  dollar  sale.  The  customer  came  in  for 
a  $30.00  coat,  bought  a  $40.00  garment  and  was  better 
satisfied.  He  sold  himself  the  $30.00  coat.  The  clerk 
sold  him  the  additional  $10.00  in  value. 

But  somebody  says :  "That  will  not  happen  very  of- 
ten.*' Well,  suppose  it  does  not.  How  often  has  a  man 
been  elected  President  of  the  United  States  in  recent 
years  without  putting  forth  every  possible  effort  in  order 
to  win?  Let  us  suppose  this  plan  succeeds  only  once 
out  of  three  times,  without  offending  the  customer.  It 
adds  that  much  more  value  to  the  services  of  the  sales- 
man. By  employing  this  method  of  selling  a  customer 
more  than  he  intends  to  buy  and.  satisfying  him,  a  young 
man  employed  in  a  Cleveland  clothing  store  has  pushed 
his  sales  up  to  nearly  $100,000  a  year.  In  June,  July  and 
August,  1920,  his  total  for  the  three  w^orst  months  of  the 
season  aggregated  $30,000.  This  shows  the  money  value 
of  understanding  human  nature. 

Appeal  to  Permit  me  to  call  your  attention  to  one 
Spirit  of  thing  in  connection  with  the  overcoat  inci- 

Ownership     dent  that  might  have  escaped  your  notice. 
The  salesman  created  a  special  desire  for 
the  coat  after  the  customer  had  put  it  on.    Do  you  real- 


152  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

ize  that  as  soon  as  an  individual  gets  into  a  garment  and 
looks  at  himself  in  the  glass,  that  garment  immediately 
and  unconsciously  becomes  a  part  of  him?  A  feeling  of 
ownership  asserts  itself.  Put  on  a  hat,  a  coat,  a  pair  of 
gloves  or  a  pair  of  shoes,  and  if  they  fit,  you  want  to 
keep  them.  That  is  the  reason  every  good  salesman 
induces  his  customers  to  "try  on"  the  shoes,  gloves  or 
garment  he  is  showing  although  he  may  not  really  un- 
derstand the  psychological  effect  of  such  a  practice.  If 
you,  as  a  salesman,  are  not  selling  goods  that  can  be  tried 
on,  a  somewhat  similar  effect  can  be  produced  by  letting 
the  customer  handle  your  commodity. 

Operating  If  I  were  selling  automobiles  I  would  get 

Machine  Aids  the  man  into  the  car — not  in  the  back 
Interest  seat — but  into  the  front  seat,  and  if  prac- 

ticable, let  him  run  it  part  of  the  time. 
He  would,  in  this  way,  have  his  hands  on  the  most  vital 
part  of  it.  The  vibration  and  pulsation  of  the  machine 
would  enter  into  his  whole  system.  He  w^ould  uncon- 
sciously become  a  part  of  it  and  it  would  become  a  part 
of ,  him.  There  would  be  an  attraction  between  the 
two,  an  affinity,  if  you  please.  He  would  thrill  with  a 
sense  of  ownership.  You  can  apply  this  principle  to  the 
sale  of  any  kind  of  goods.  Have  you  ever  seen  a  suc- 
cessful candidate  for  office  shake  hands  with  his  left 
hand  the  day  after  election?  Human  nature  likes  con- 
tact with  the  thing  in  which  it  is  interested.  If  I  were 
selling  any  kind  of  a  mechanical  device,  typewriter,  cash 
register,  or  adding  machine,  I  would  have  the  prospect 
operate  it  to  some  extent. 


Creating  Desire  153 


Interest  and  A  great  many  salesmen  have  a  fatal 
Desire  Not  weakness  in  their  selling  talk  right  at  this 

Identical  point  and   we  want  to  point   it  out   so 

clearly  that  every  reader,  no  matter 
whether  a  salesman  or  not,  will  fully  appreciate  it.  This 
mistake  consists  in  thinking  that  because  an  individual  is 
interested  in  a  proposition  he  wants  it,  and  for  that 
reason  it  is  unnecessary  either  to  produce  conviction  or 
create  desire.  I  have  looked  upon  a  pure  white  thorough- 
bred Arabian  horse  and  was  deeply  interested,  but  had 
no  thought  of  desiring  the  animal.  I  have  stood  before 
Niagara  Falls  for  hours  and  gazed  upon  nature's  marvel- 
ous work.  I  was  interested  but  not  because  I  had  any 
idea  of  desiring  the  Falls.  I  have  stood  on  the  top  of 
Pike's  Peak  and  viewed  the  surrounding  country  with  a 
great  deal  of  interest,  but  there  was  no  desire  mingled 
with  my  interest.  Do  not  think  that,  because  you  show 
your  goods  to  an  individual  and  he  greatly  admires  them, 
he  is  going  to  buy  without  first  being  convinced  that  they 
are  worth  the  money,  or  are  to  his  advantage.  Convic- 
tion and  desire  are  the  result  of  an  appeal  to  emotions 
entirely  different  from  the  appeal  to  mere  human  in- 
terest. The  w^hole  world  can  be  and  is  interested  through 
curiosity — mere  curiosity.  Please  remember  that  and  do 
not  jump  to  the  conclusion  that  because  people  are  curi- 
ous they  are  necessarily  going  to  buy. 

Persuasion  ''Persuasion,  on  the  heels  of  argument,  in- 
Intensifies  tensifies  desire."  Here  the  prospect  must 
Desire  be  shown  tactfully  how  possession  of  the 

article  will  be  of  profit  to  him  personally. 
Possibly  the  best  method  of  persuasion  is  the  subtle  sug- 


154  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

gestion  which  pictures  to  the  prospect  the  satisfaction  or 
actual  gain  which  ownership  would  bring.  Argument 
gives  a  man  evidence  that  prompts  him  to  act  of  his  own 
volition.  Persuasion  is  the  added  influence  of  the  sales- 
man's personality,  plus  the  appeal  to  the  emotions  that 
brings  a  decision  when  the  man  himself  hesitates. 


SUMMARY 


Desire  is  an  earnest  wishing  for  something  to  satisfy 
a  want  and  the  excitation  to  action  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  it. 

Desire  Is  created  by  effective  appeal  to  one  or  more  of 
the-  following  motives :  profit,  pleasure,  ambition,  cau- 
tion, fear,  love,  pride  and  usefulness. 

Mix  your  selling  talk  with  logic. 

A  salesman  must  analyze  his  prospect  and  concentrate 
the  motive  he  feels  will  best  reach  him. 

Self-interest  usually  Is  the  dominating  motive  In  hu- 
man life  and  the  salesman's  proposition  must  satisfy 
this  desire  whatever  it  may  be. 


Creating  Desire  155 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Formulate  a  definition  of  Desire  in  your  own 
words. 

2.  Mention  articles  that  could  be  sold  by  using  the 
various  motives. 

3.  Concentrate  your  mind  on  some  choice  article  of 
food  for  a  short  time.  Do  you  notice  any  indications  of 
desire?    What? 

4.  Give  an  ilkistration,  from  your  own  experience,  of 
buying  because  of  one  or  more  of  the  impelling  motives. 

5.  What  natural  tendencies  ought  a  salesman  to  have 
in  order  to  use  the  motive  of  caution  or  fear? 

6.  Contrast  the  use  of  these  various  jnotives  as  used 
by  the  Actor,  Salesman,  Minister,  Lawyer  and  Doctor. 

7.  Distinguish  between  Interest  and  Desire  by  illus- 
tration. 

8.  What  is  the  advantage  of  having  a  prospect  handle 
the  goods  ? 

9.  Give  some  reasons  that  might  cause  lack  of  de- 
sire. 

10.  What  is  the  eifect  of  one's  mental  attitude  on  his 
success  ? 


RESOLVE  TO  BUY 


RESOLVE    FOLLOWS    CLOSELY 
UPON  HEELS  OF  DESIRE 


Big  Men 

Act  on 

Evidence 


Show 

Immediate 

Need 


You  Will 

Pay  for  it 

Whether  You 

Get  it  or  Not 


When  You 

Disregard 

Your  Own  Best 

Interests  You 

Rob  Yourself 


CHART  XIX.     RESOLVE  TO  BUY 
156 


CHAPTER  XVII 

RESOLVE  TO   BUY 

Changing  Sustained  desire  ripens  into  resolve  to 

Desire  Into         possess,  and  that  is  the  next  step  in  the 
Resolve  Law  of  Sale.     Decision  to  buy  very  of- 

ten follows  so  closely  upon  the  heels  of 
desire  to  possess,  that  some  may  think  that  resolve  is  a 
part  of  desire.  But  it  is  not.  It  is  a  distinct  act  in  it- 
self. I  may  be  convinced  that  a  certain  property  is  a 
bargain.  I  may  desire  it  and  still  not  resolve  to  invest 
because  I  do  not  care  to  assume  the  responsibility  or  be 
bothered  with  it,  or  it  may  be  fear  that  keeps  me  from 
buying — a  baseless  negative  fear.  My  mind,  therefore, 
goes  off  on  a  tangent  and  it  must  be  brought  back  to 
the  arrow.    How  can  it  be  done  ? 

A  Successful      Here  is  a  strenuous  method  that  I  have 
Method  used   successfully.      My   argument   was 

something  like  this:  **Let  us  suppose 
that  you  and  I  are  off  in  the  corner  of  an  office  trying 
to  figure  out  a  method  whereby  we  can  both  make  some 
money.  If  I  conclude  this  sale  I  will  earn  a  profit  at 
once,  but  it  will  be  very  small  in  comparison  with  yours 
which  will  be  continuous.  You  have  made  a  careful 
study  of  this  proposition.  You  are  absolutely  convinced 
it  is  to  your  advantage.  Your  reason  and  judgment  are 
satisfied.  Your  judgment  is  your  court  of  last  resort. 
You  are  compelled  to  act  in  accordance  with  it  in  order 
to  do  yourself  justice.  If  you  fail  to  act  in  harmony 
with  your  own  convictions  and  your  best  judgment,  you 
become  at  once  an  enemy  to  your  highest  interests.  You 
stand  in  your  own  light.      You  simply  rob  yourself  of 

167 


158  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

money  that  rightfully  belongs  to  yourself,  your  wife  and 
your  children.  When  I  am  convinced  that  my  proposi- 
tion is  to  a  man's  advantage  and  will  make  him  money, 
arid  then  fail  to  urge  him  to  take  it,  I  feel  that  I  am 
not  giving  him  a  square  deal,  and  I  feel  just  that  way 
about  this  proposition,  and  that  is  the  reason  I  am  so 
insistent.  ,When  you  get  it  and  make  the  profit  out  of  it 
these  other  men  are  making,  whose  recommendations  I 
have  shown  you,  and  who  are  similarly  situated,  you  will 
thank  me  for  inducing  you  to  make  a  prompt  decision." 
This  argument,  aranged  to  suit  ^  particular  situation, 
has  helped  me  to  close  a  large  number  oi  sal'es. 

Closing  "All   right,"   the   prospect   replies,   "I   will 

the  Order  take  it,  but  not  before  the  holidays,"  or 
spring,  or  some  time  three  or  four  months 
in  the  future.  His  mind  goes  off  on  another  tangent 
■ — away  past  the  bull's  eye.  You  have  approached 
him  correctly.  You  have  won  attention,  quickened 
interest,  produced  conviction,  aroused  desire  and  in- 
cited him  to  buy.  In  other  words,  you  have  done 
six-sevenths  of  the  work.  Are  you  going  to  lose  the 
sale  after  so  much  hard  work  and  the  order  just 
within  reach?  This  Is  the  climax.  You  must  exert 
yourself  to  your  utmost  to  close  the  deal  at  once. 

Do  It  Now  Let  us  examine  the  situation  a  bit.  If  you 
are  selling  a  specialty,  whether  you  have 
competition  or  not,  you  should  close  the  order  on  the 
first  interview  if  you  can.  Right  here  is  where  the  good 
salesman  adds  largely  to  his  Income.  But  let  us  suppose 
that  you  are  not  a  specialty  salesman.    Let  us  assume  for 


Resolve  To  Buy.  159 


illustration,  that  you  are  selling  paint.  Mr.  Merchant 
says  he  will  buy  but  he  will  not  take  it  until  a  future 
time.  What  are  you  to  do  ?  In  some  instances  it  is  wise 
not  to  push  the  sale.  Here  is  where  judgment  is  desir- 
able. Let  us  suppose  that  you  let  him  go,  and  when  you 
come  back  three  months  hence  you  find  him  stocked  up 
with  your  competitor's  goods.  What  would  you  think? 
That  very  thing  will  happen  many  times  unless  you  are 
an  expert  and  are  able  to  make  such  an  impression  on 
your  prospect  that  no  other  salesman  can  possibly  sell 
him. 

Sell  Service  In  order  to  hold  a  merchant  you  must 
With  Your  sell   him  more   than  •  mere  paint.      You 

Goods  must  sell  him  service,  information,  con- 

fidence, and  satisfaction.  If  you  fail  to 
satisfy  a  customer  at  all  points,  it  will  be  comparatively 
easy  for  a  competitor  to  take  him  away  from  you.  No 
matter  what  line  of  goods  you  are  handling,  ''Satisfac- 
tion"— intangible,  imponderable,  and  invisible — is  your 
chief  commodity.  In  order  to  make  a  compelling  appeal 
you  must  show  that  you  are  not  only  willing  but  also 
able  to  give  him  information  that  will  actually  help  him 
to  sell  what  he  has  bought  from  you.  A  merchant  likes 
to  deal  with  such  a  salesman.  It  gives  him  an  advantage 
over  his  competitors. 

Success  of  The  above  is  one  of  the  methods  used  by 

This  Method      the  star  salesman  of  a  great  paint  com- 
pany.     This    man    has    captured    many 
prizes  offered  by  his  concern.     He  never  urges  a  sale 
when  he  is  convinced  that  the  time  is  not  ripe  to  sell. 


160  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

but  he  is  such  an  artist  in  the  use  of  suggestion  that  the 
merchant  waits  for  him  to  return.  He  not  only  uses  the 
selHng  arguments  issued  by  his  house  but  he  tests  all  the 
paints  by  using  them  on  his  own  buildings.  In  this  way 
he  is  able  to  put  a  degree  of  conviction  into  his  selling 
talk  that  otherwise  would  be  impossible.  This  salesman 
has  character,  ability  and  judgment.  This  type  of  man 
establishes  confidence,  produces  conviction  and  builds  up 
the  business.  It  is  a  rare  thing  for  a  competitor  to  sell 
to  one  of  his  customers. 

Danger  of  Factors  that  affect  the  paint  business  are 
Being  Too  equally  true  of  shoes,  dry  goods,  clothing, 
Easy  groceries,  and  similar  lines.     If  you  persist 

in  selling  a  man,  when  your  good  judgment 
tells  you  that  it  is  not  wise  for  him  to  buy  until  you 
come  around  again,  the  chances  are  you  will  antagonize 
him.  He  will  feel  that  you  are  not  concerned  in  his 
business  success,  and  that  you  are  only  interested  in  what 
you  can  get  from  him.  That  feeling  destroys  confidence. 
But  if  you  are  not  extremely  wise  and  careful,  you  will 
be  too  easy  and  lose  heavily  for  that  reason.  A  man 
who  says  he  does  not  want  anything,  does  not  always 
mean  what  he  says.  The  salesman  who  sells  only  to  the 
man  who  is  ready  to  buy  will  not  make  money  enough 
to  pay  his  railroad  fare.  Be  diplomatic,  hut  he  firmly 
persistent.  If  you  are  going  to  overdo  either  side,  by  all 
means  overdo  the  side  of  perseverance.  I  have  spent 
seven  days  in  a  man's  store  on  five  different  occasions 
before  selling  him.  If  I  had  not  fought  it  out  with  him 
in  this  way  I  would  not  have  made  the  sale.  I  have 
known  a  specialty  salesman  to  observe  a  man  all  day  in 


Resolve  To  Buy  161 


his  store  and  watch  every  move  in  order  to  get  informa- 
tion that  would  enable  him  to  make  a  strong  presenta- 
tion and  get  the  order.  Persistent  concentration  and 
bulldog  determination  did  it.  When  the  transaction  was 
finally  consummated  it  meant  a  great  deal  more  to  the 
buyer  than  the  seller. 

Talking  A  prize  fighter  does  not  punch  his  opponent 

Too  Much  until  he  is  down  and  out,  and  then  keep  on 
striking  him.  He  knows  better.  A  car- 
penter does  not  hammer  a  nail  after  it  is  all  the  way  in 
and  clinched.  If  he  did  he  would  loosen  it.  Many  a 
salesman  pounds  away  to  get  an  order  after  it  has  been 
thoroughly  clinched  in  his  prospect's  mind.  He  some- 
times talks  the  man  into  buying  and  then  talks  him  out 
of  it.  Such  a  salesman  fails  without  knowing  why.  He 
believes  that  no  one  could  have  obtained  the  order. 
He  made  the  sale  and  lost  it  but  does  not  realize  it.  Such 
men  do  not  believe  that  salesmanship  can  be  taught. 
They  are  ignorant  of  certain  laws  of  sale,  and  what  is  far 
worse,  they  are  ignorant  of  their  own  ignorance. 

Knowing  I  have  seen  salesmen  reach  the  point  where 
When  to  their  prospect  was  ready  to  buy,  then  talk 
Close  in  a  circle  and  lose  the  sale.    I  have  found 

it  necessary  in  field  training  men  to  use  a 
signal  code  in  order  to  get  the  salesman  to  close  when  he 
should.  The  untrained  salesman  who  tries  to  work  out 
his  own  salvation  unaided  loses  much  business  and, 
therefore,  much  profit. 


163  Science  and  Art  of  Set-i.txc. 

Be  When   approaching  the  order  point,   do   not 

Serious       joke.    Omit  remarks  about  having  "a  nice  new 
pen."    That  is  irrelevant,  distracting  and  hurt- 
ful.    Be  as  serious  as  when  presenting  your  arguments. 

Suggestive  The  following  strategy  may  be  used  in  sell- 
Closing  ing  any  line  of  goods.  Suppose  the  pros- 
pect is  very  much  interested  and  acts  as  if 
he  expected  to  buy,  but  he  has  not  so  indicated.  You 
might  say:  "Mr.  Brown,  this  machine  has  three  finishes, 
the  nickel,  bronze,  and  gold.  Which  finish  appeals  to 
you  most,  or  which  do  you  like  best?"  If  he  queries: 
"Well,  which  do  you  consider  best?"  give  him  your 
opinion  and  your  reason.  That  induces  him  to  express 
a  preference  one  way  or  the  other.  Fall  in  line  with 
his  views  immediately,  and  say :  "All  right,  I  will  make 
it  that  finish."  When  he  asks  for  your  preference  you 
may  be  pretty  certain  he  has  decided  to  buy,  and  if  he 
permits  you  to  put  down  that  particular  finish  without 
protest,  you  are  about  nine-tenths  sure  of  him.  You 
come  in  a  little  closer  with  your  next  question.  You  sug- 
gest :  "Most  people  are  satisfied  to  have  their  machine 
come  by  freight,  but  a  good  many  are  anxious  to  get  it 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  so  order  it  sent  by  express. 
Would  you  want  it  shipped  by  express,  or  are  you  will- 
ing to  wait  for  about  thirty  days  for  it  to  reach  you  by 
freight?" 

Observe  the        In  this  proposition  we  have  given  him  a 

Affirmatives       choice  of  two  methods,  but  notice  that 

neither  one  affords  him  an  opportunity 

to   say   "no"   in   regard   to   the   proposition.     We   have 


Resolve  To  Buy  163 


assumed  that  he  is  going  to  buy.  We  have  eHminated 
the  idea  of  buying  entirely  from  his  mind.  His  attention 
has  been  concentrated  on  something  else — the  method  of 
getting  the  article.  This  is  superlative  selling  strategy. 
Study  it. carefully.  Here  is  the  way  the  greatest  news- 
boy in  the  world  handles  a  similar  situation.  He  meets 
you  and  says:  'Want  a  paper?"  Oh,  no,  he  does  not 
do  it  that  way.  (He  would  not  be  the  richest  newsboy 
in  the  world  if  he  did.  He  says :  'Which  will  you  have 
■ — the  Herald  or  Tribune  ?"  He  takes  it  for  granted  that 
you  expect  to  buy  one  of  the  papers,  and  you  fall  in  with 
his  assumption.  In  taking  an  order  the  wise  clerk  asks: 
"Do  you  wish  to  pay  cash  or  have  it  charged?"  You 
can  apply  this  strategy^  in  closing  any  kind  of  a  sale  in 
any  line  of  business. 

The  Strong  There  was  a  circus  in  town  and  a  small 
Positive  boy   rushed   up   to   his    father   ^nd   ex- 

claimed: "Pa,  give  me  a  quarter.  I 
want  to  go  to  the  circus."  The  father  replied:  "Go 
away  and  don't  bother  me/*  "But,"  urged  the  boy,  "the 
parade  is  coming  right  down  Main  street  now,  elephants, 
lions,  tigers  and  everything,  and  I've  just  got  to  go."  The 
father  yielded  when  he  heard  that  plea,  and  responded : 
"Here,  take  the  quarter  and  go  on."  The  average  boy 
uses  better  salesmanship  on  his  father  when  he  wants 
money  for  a  circus  ticket  than  does  many  a  salesman 
in  selling  goods. 

Clinching  "You  know  how  the  clever  salesman 
Resolve  manipulates  his  talking  points,  always  hold- 

ing  back   some   extra    strong   reasons    for 
the  final  effort.     And  his   argument   culminates  in  the 


164  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

climax  or  the  clincher.  As  you  hesitate,  undecided 
whether  or  not  to  order,  the  shrewd  salesman  shoots  at 
you  one  last  advantage  which  he  has  held  in  reserve." 

$25,000  The  following  illustration  shows  how  a  col- 

a  Minute  lege  president  sold  an  idea.  One  of  the 
buildings  of  Wooster  University  burned 
down  one  night.  On  the  following  day  the  youthful, 
boyish-looking  president,  Louis  E.  Holden,  started  to 
New  York  City  to  see  Andrew  Carnegie.  Without  wast- 
ing  a  minute  in  preliminaries  he  began :  "Mr.  Carnegie, 
you  are  a  busy  man  and  so  am  I.  I  won't  take  up  more 
than  five  minutes  of  your  time.  The  main  building  of 
Wooster  University  burned  down  night  before  last,  and 
I  want  you  to  give  us  $100,000  for  a  new  one." 
"Young  man,"  replied  the  philanthropist,  "I  don't  believe 
in  giving  money  to  colleges."  "But  you  believe  in  help- 
ing young  men,  don't  you?"  urged  President  Holden. 
"I'm  a  young  man,  Mr.  Carnegie,  and  I'm  in  an  awful 
hole.  I've  gone  into  the  business  of  manufacturing  col- 
lege men  from  the  raw  material  and  now  the  best  part 
of  my  plant  is  gone.  You  know  how  you  would  feel  if 
one  of  your  big  steel  mills  were  destro}'ed  right  in  the 
busy  season."  "Young  man,"  responded  Mr.  Carnegie, 
"raise  $100,000  in  thirty  days  and  I'll  give  you  another." 
"Make  it  sixty  days  and  I'll  go  you,"  replied  Dr.  Holden. 
"Done,"  assented  Mr.  Carnegie.  Dr.  Holden  picked  up 
his  hat  and  started  for  the  door.  As  he  reached  it,  Mr. 
Carnegie  called  after  him,  "Now  remember,  it's  sixty 
days  only."  "All  right,  sir,  I  understand."  Dr.  Holden's 
call  had  consumed  just  four  minutes.  The  required 
$100,000  was  raised  within  the  specified  time,  and  when 


Resolve  To  Buy  165 


handing  over  his  check  Mr.  Carnegie  said,  laughing, 
"Young  man,  if  you  ever  come  to  see  me  again,  don't 
stay  so  long.    Your  call  cost  me  just  $25,000  a  minute.'* 

Reasons  First.     You  v^ill  notice  that  Dr.  Holden 

Why  Holden  dispensed  with  all  the  preliminaries  and 
Won  began  talking  business  at  once. 

Second.  Notice  Mr.  Carnegie's  objection 
and  Dr.  Holden's  answer.  Dr.  Holden's  sentence  reply 
to  Carnegie's  sentence  objection  won  the  $100,000.  Don't 
you  think  Dr.  Holden  could  well  have  spent  five  years 
of  his  life  in  special  study  in  order  to  win  the  $100,000? 
Suppose  President  Holden  had  tried  to  answer  Mr.  Car- 
negie's objection  that  he  did  not  believe  In  giving  money 
to  colleges.  If  he  had  he  would  have  begun  with  a  tire- 
some defense  of  the  value  of  a  college  education.  But 
he  didn't.  He  understood  human  nature  in  general,  and 
"Carnegie  nature"  in  particular,  too  well  to  make  such  a 
blunder.  He  knew  that  Carnegie's  system  of  making 
such  young  men  as  Schwab  and  Corey  his  partners  was 
the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  business  world.  He 
realized  that  Carnegie  was  not  much  concerned  about 
colleges  but  that  he  was  immensely  Interested  In  young 
men,  and  had  a  tender  spot  In  his  heart  for  them.  Dr. 
Holden  touched  that  tender  spot.  How  did  he  do  It  so 
spontaneously?  He  was  prepared.  He  had  thoroughly 
analyzed  his  prospect,  and  knew  just  how  to  approach 
him. 

Do  It  Now     After  making  your  plea  and  coming  up  to 

the  order  point  you  will   often  meet  this 

evasion :    "Well,  I  will  think  It  over  and  let  you  know  In 


166  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

a  few  days."  The  salesman  who  can  produce  conviction 
and  compel  immediate  action  is  earning  a  large  salary. 
The  following  line  of  argument  is  very  effective  in  over- 
coming indecision: 


An  Effective       /    appreciate   your    desire    to    give    the 
Argument  matter  further  thought,  Mr.  Blank,  hut 

you  are  really  better  prepared  to  act 
to-day  than  you  will  he  in  a  week  from  now.  You  see 
we  have  talked  over  every  point  carefully.  The  reasons 
are  clearer  in  your  mind  now  than  they  will  he  later. 
Your  good  judgment  tells  you  that  to  decide  NOW  is  the 
wise  thing  to  do.  It  will  take  a  little  courage  on  your 
part  to  do  it.  You  know  it  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the 
world  to  put  off  making  a  decision.  But  you  will  agree 
with  me,  Mr.  Blank,  that  one  of  the  strongest  character- 
istics of  successful  w.en  is  their  ahility  to  act  after  decid- 
ing that  it  is  the  wise  thing  to  do.  Your  judgment  and 
intelligence  tell  you  this  is  the  thing  you  ought  to  do;  your 
feelings  and  best  interests  make  you  realise  it.  It  is  only 
necessary  now  for  your  will  to  act  and  that  can  be  done 
by  putting  your  name  on  this  line  right  here. 

How  to  Meet  The  best  way  to  meet  competition  is  not 
Competition  to  recognize  it,  except  in  a  kindly  way. 
Do  all  your  talking  about  your  own 
proposition.  Remember  that  every  knock  is  a  boost. 
We  believe  in  elimination  by  substitution.  Eliminate  the 
other  fellow's  proposition  by  putting  up  one  which  is 
so  much  better,  that  your  prospective  customer  will  forget 
all  about  what  the  other  salesman  offered.     Arrange 


Resolve  To  Buy  16,7 


your  strategy  so  as  to  convince  your  prospect  that  you 
are  working  for  his  interests. 

Important      Never  linger  after  you  have  taken  a  man's 
Hints  order  and  thoroughly  clinched  it.     If  you 

do  you  are  killing  his  time  and  your  own, 
and  he  might  change  his  mind.  There  are  a  great  many 
new  inventions  on  the  market  that  are  revolutionizing 
business.  Every  merchant  is  under  obligation  to  himself 
to  see  what  you  have  to  offer.  Few  first-class  salesmen 
use  cards  to  introduce  themselves.  When  you  present  a 
card  your  prospect  looks  at  the  card  and  away  from 
you.  In  so  doing  you  lose  his  eye  and  your  influence 
is  diverted. 


A  Discourteous      I  have  known  a  traveling  man  to  enter 
Merchant  a  store  when  the  proprietor  was  busy 

waiting  upon  a  customer.  After  the 
merchant  was  through  he  would  go  over  to  his  desk  and 
busy  himself  with  his  books — that  is,  apparently,  but  in 
reality  he  was  killing  time  with  the  hope  that  Mr.  Travel- 
ing Man  would  leave  without  approaching  him.  Finally 
when  the  salesman  tried  to  open  the  conversation,  the 
merchant  would  act  more  like  a  bear  than  a  civilized  man. 
Without  looking  up  he  would  say  something  like  this: 
"No,  I  don't  want  anything  to-day  and  I  haven't  time  to 
talk  to  you."  He  would  leav€  the  traveling  man  stand- 
ing by  his  desk  without  a  word  of  civil  greeting  or  dis- 
missal. This  gave  the  salesman  the  choice  of  beginning 
a  verbal  battle  or  of  retreating  in  confusion. 


168  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

A  Courteous       In   contrast  with  this  discourteous   un- 
Contrast  businessUke,    and    unprofitable    way    of 

dealing  with  the  public,  let  us  see  how  a 
gentleman  and  a  diplomat  handles  such  matters.  Here  is 
the  method  used  by  the  late  Senator  Gorman  of  Mary- 
land. The  salesman  approached  the  Senator  and  stated 
the  object  of  his  visit.  The  Senator  responded:  *T  am 
very  glad  to  meet  you,  but  I  regret  that  my  time  is  so 
taken  up  that  I  am  unable  now  to  look  into  your  proposi- 
tion." The  Senator  then  arose  and  walked  to  the  door 
with  his  caller.  When  he  reached  the  door  he  extended 
his  hand  very  cordially  and  said:  "I  am  very  glad  to 
have  met  you  and  only  sorry  that  I  cannot  give  your 
proposition  the  consideration  which  I  am  sure  it  de- 
serves," and  then  ushered  him  out.  This  is  the  kind  of 
courtesy  that  transformed  Senator  Gorman  from  a  page 
in  Congress  into  one  of  its  great  leaders.  What  a  bless- 
ing to  the  business  world  such  civility  would  be !  It 
costs  nothing  in  either  time  or  money,  but  it  adds 
profit,  pleasure  and  happiness.  It  raises  the  standard  of 
civilization. 

Clear  Thinking  In  closing  a  contract,  making  a  sale. 

Underlies  Winning    discussing  an  advertising  plan  or  in 
Argument  judging  conditions  which  have  an 

influence  over  future  activity — 
argument  is  an  outstanding  factor  in  reaching  well-based 
conclusions.  The  speaker  or  writer  who  logically  and 
clearly  combines  ideas  and  facts,  and  presents  them  un- 
derstandably, is  the  one  who  achieves  his  purpose. 

The  same  idea  is  expressed  in  "How  to  Argue  and 
Win,"  by  Grenville  Kleiser  (Funk  &  Wagnalls  Co.,  New 


Resolve  To  Buy  169 


York).  "The  very  life  of  modern  business  is  inspired 
largely  by  interchange  of  ideas  and  opinions.  The  heads 
of  many  houses  meet  ...  .  to  determine  questions  of 
policy  and  to  discuss  important  problems.  At  such  meet- 
ings it  is  the  man  wath  ideas,  one  who  can  formulate  his 
arguments  clearly  and  effectively,  v^ho  wins." 

Thinking  Is  such  a  natural  function,  the  author  points 
out,  it  hardly  seems  necessary  to  study  it,  yet  clear  think- 
ing is  very  uncommon.  Many  men  can  argue,  but  few 
can  argue — and  win.  In  spite  of  knowledge  of  facts  and 
validity  of  proposition  an  argument  may  be  lost  through 
lack  of  method  in  presentation  and  lack  of  organization, 
material,  force  and  personality.  "When  we  have  proofs," 
says  the  author,  "they  must  not  only  be  true  but  must 
be  demonstrated  to  be  so.  Volubility  is  one  of  the  most 
destructive  forces  in  argumentation." 

Mr.  Klelser  develops  Interesting  chapters  on  clearness, 
conciseness,  use  of  words,  logic  and  similar  related  topics, 
all  focusing  on  the  principles  and  methods  which  create 
clear  thinking  and  a  consequent  clear  argument  for  any 
worthy  cause. 

Old  Newsie  Gets  "All  about  the  shipwreck ;  see  it  in 
Costly  Lessons  the  News  !" 

in  Salesmanship  "Paper !"   shrills  the  voice  of  an- 

other newsboy. 

"Great  uprising  In  Ireland ;  all  In  the  Times !" 

"Paper !"  comes  again  the  cry. 

All  day  long  passersby  are  amused  by  the  salesmanship 
efforts  of  the  newsboy  in  proclaiming  his  wares,  while 
the  rival  vendor  reaps  the  profit  and  saves  his  voice. 


170  Science  and  Art  of  Skt^ltng 

Morning,  noon  and  night  the  two  stand  on  one  corner. 
The  one,  an  aged  man,  shouts  his  choicest  stories.  The 
other,  a  sly-e3'ed  youngster,  remains  silent  until  the 
crucial  moment.  Then,  when  the  older  newsie  is  about 
to  tell  where  the  shipwreck  or  the  uprising  may  be  read, 
the  other  drowns  out  the  v/ord  with  the  name  of  his 
own  paper. 

At  each  outcry  of  his  young  rival  the  old  man  looks 
at  him,  hitches  up  his  bundle  and  sings  out : 

"Congress  votes  on ."    "Times,  paper,"  cries  the 

young  newsie  and  makes  another  sale.  He  makes  sales 
because  he  offers  his  wares  in  the  right  way  at  the  right 
time. 


SUMMARY 


Desire  sustained  creates  a  resolve  to  possess. 

All  thought  tends  toward  action,  so  it  is  necessary  to 
create  right  thinking. 

Use  any  reserve  material  at  this  time  and  be  prepared 
to  neutralize. any  objections  raised  by  the  prospect. 

Objections  are  of  two  kinds,  personal  and  critical. 

Be  serious  and  don't  talk  too  much. 

Sell  service  with  your  goods. 

Talk  yoiii  not  /  or  ive. 

The  salesman  should  avoid  antagonizing  individual 
opinion  and  prejudice.  He  should  direct  the  conversa- 
tion without  seeming  to  lead.  This  is  especially  neces- 
sary in  meeting  the  personal  kind  of  objections. 

It  is  not  what  an  article  costs,  it  is  what  it  saves  and 
earns  for  the  buyer. 


Resolve  To  Buy  171 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Distinguish  between  the  meaning  of  desire  and 
resolve. 

2.  What  are  some  of  the  dangers  that  most  salesmen 
encounter  at  this  point? 

3.  Give  a  closing  argument  that  you  have  used,  or 
might  use  in  selling  any  article  of  your  own  choice. 

4.  Is  it  well  to  argue  with  a  prospect? 

5.  Why  did  President  Holden  close  the  sale  in  so 
few  words? 

6.  What  is  the  difference  between  an  item  of  expense 
and  an  investment? 

7.  Do  you  think  a  sale  can  be  closed  every  time  on 
first  call? 

8.  Just  how  would  you  determine  how  far  to  push 
a  close  on  first  interview. 

9.  In  case  you  are  sure  it  is  not  best  to  attempt 
further  argument,  how  should  you  leave  your  prospect  ? 

10.  Suppose  you  w^ere  a  buyer,  how  would  you  dis- 
miss a  salesman,  in  whose  proposition  you  were  not 
interested  ? 


LAWS  OF 
SUGGESTION 


Negative 
Suggestions 
Lose  Sales 


Positive 
Suggestions 
Make  Sales 


Indirect  Suggestion 
is  More  Effective 

Than 
Direct  Suggestion 


LAWS 

OF 

i  SUGGESTIBILITY  i 


Result  of  More  Than 
8.000  Laboratory  Ex- 
periments 


Rate 

of  Effected 

Suggestibility 


Per  Cent 

Frequency  and  Last 

Impression 75.  2 

Last  Impression  ,, 63. 3 

Frequency 42  6 

Coexistence  and  Last 

Impression 18.  3 

Repetition 17.6 

Coexistence 6.6 


The  Last  Impression  is  the ' 
Most  Impressive 


Choice 
Suggestibihty 


Per  Cent 

Strange  Shape 56. 

Abnormal  Position.  .      .  .  53.  2 

Environment ;  52. 6 

Colored  Cover 43. 9 

Indirect  Suggestion    

Average 51.4 

Color  Verbally' 

Suggested 33.3 

Place  Verbally 

Suggested 19.9 

Direct  Suggestion       

Average 26.6 


A  Familiar  Thing  in  a  Strange' 

Abnormal  Position  or  Shape 

Produces  the  Most  Effective 

Suggestion 


CHART  XX.     LAWS  OF  SUGGESTION 
172 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

LAWS  OF  SUGGESTION 

The  Importance  To  understand  thoroughly  the  law 

of  Suggestion  of  suggestion  in  its  relation  to  busi- 

ness and  its  power  to  influence 
people,  is  to  increase  your  earning  capacity  and  ability 
by  leaps  and  bounds. 

The  Power  of  The  word  suggestion  means  very  little  to 
Suggestion  the  average  man,  and  yet  suggestion  ex- 
ercises a  marvelous  power  in  politics, 
religion,  medicine,  business,  salesmanship,  and  advertis- 
ing. Even  the  functions  and  sensations  of  the  body  are 
under  its  influence. 

Suggestion         The  following  definitions  by  two  promi- 
Defined  nent  psychologists  will  help  us.    H.  Add- 

ington  Bruce  says:  *'By  suggestion  is 
meant  nothing  more  than  the  intrusion  of  an  idea  Into 
the  mind  with  such  skill  ai)d  power  that  it  dominates  and 
for  the  moment  disarms  or  excludes  all  other  ideas, 
which  might  prevent  its  realization."  Let  us  remember 
that  the  tendency  of  every  suggestion  is  to  result  in 
action,  which  is  in  harmony  with  the  suggestion. 

Professor  Boris  Sidis,  M.A.,  Ph.D.,  says:  "By  sug- 
gestion is  meant  the  intrusion  into  the  mind  of  an  idea; 
met  with  more  or  less  opposition  by  the  person ;  accepted 
uncritically  at  last;  and  realized  unreflectively,  almost 
automatically. 

173 


174  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Illustration  of  "In  order  to  give  a  full  description  of 
Effectiveness  of  suggestion  and  make  its  boundary 
Suggestion  lines  clear,  distinct,  and  definite,  let  us 

take  a  few  concrete  cases  and  inspect 
them  closely. 

"I  hold  a  newspaper  in  my  hands  and  begin  to  roll  it 
up;  soon  I  find  that  my  friend  sitting  opposite  me  rolls 
his  up  in  a  similar  way.  This,  we  say,  is  a  case  of 
suggestion. 

"My  friend,  Mr.  Adams,  is  absent-minded ;  he  sits  near 
the  table  thinking  of  some  mathematical  problem  that 
bafifles  all  his  efforts  to  solve.  Absorbed  in  the  solution 
of  that  intractable  problem,  he  is  blind  and  deaf  to  what 
is  going  on  around  him.  His  eyes  are  directed  on  tlie 
table,  but  he  appears  not  to  see  any  of  the  objects  there. 
I  put  two  glasses,  of  water  on  the  table,  and  at  short 
intervals  make  passes  in  the  direction  of  the  glasses — 
passes  which  he  seems  not  to  notice;  then  I  resolutely 
stretch  out  my  hand,  take  one  of  the  glasses,  and  begin 
to  drink.  My  friend  follows  suit — dreamily  he  raises  his 
hand,  takes  the  glass,  and  begins  to  sip,  awakening  fully 
to  consciousness  when  a  good  part  of  the  tumbler  is 
emptied." 

Important  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  the 

Factors  of  salesman  to  know  how  to  make  his  sug- 

Suggestion  gestions  create  a  deep  impression  on  his 
prospective  customer's  mind.  Professor 
Sidis  through  the  facilities  afforded  by  the  Psychological 
Laboratory  of  Harvard  University  and  the  Pathological 
Institute  of  the  New  York  State  Hospitals,  has  conducted 


Laws  of  Suggestion  175 

more  than  8,000  experiments  relating  to  the  subject  of 
suggestion. 

Result  of  The  purpose  of  his  experiments  was 

Eight  Thousand     to  find  the  rates  of  efficiency  of  vari- 
Experiments  ous  modes  of  suggesting  ideas  and  he 

gives  us  an  analysis  of  those  experi- 
ments which  is  of  inestimable  value  to  the  salesman  and 
the  advertising  writer. 

"Arranging  now  the  factors  in  the  order  of  their  sug- 
gestibility, we  have  the  following  table: 

Per  cent 

Frequency  and  last  impression 75.2 

Last  impression 63.3 

Frequency    42.6 

Coexistence  and  last  impression  18.3 

Repetition 17.6 

Coexistence    6.6 , 

"Comparing  now  the  suggestibility  effected  by  different 
factors,*  that  of  the  last  impression  stands  out  most 
prominently.  The  'last  impression'  is  the  most  impress- 
ive. Our  daily  life  teems  with  facts  that  illustrate  this 
rule. 


*Let  me  add  here  that  the  figures  bring  out  the  relative 
rather  than  the  absolute  suggestiveness  of  the  factors 
studied. 


176  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Importance  "The  child  is  influenced  by  the  last  iin- 
of  Last  pression  it  receives.     In  a  debate,  he,  as  a 

Impression  rule,  gains  the  victory  in  the  eyes  of  the 
public,  who  has  the  last  word.  In  a  crowd 
he  moves  and  stirs  the  citizens  to  action,  who  makes 
the  last  inciting  speech." 

Always  remember  this  principle  of  suggestion  when 
you  are  leaving  your  customer.  If  he  has  given  you  a 
good  order  you  should  express  your  appreciation,  and 
you  might  say :  **You  are  going  to  be  well  pleased  with 
this  order  when  it  arrives,  Mr.  Brown,  and  it  is  going  to 
bring  you  some  very  profitable  business,  too,  as  quickly 
as  you  follow  the  instructions  you  will  receive  from  our 
advertising  department,  which  you  will  find  packed  with 
your  order."  Don't  say:  "I  hope  you  will  like  these 
goods  when  they  arrive,  Mr.  Brown."    That  is  negative. 

If  you  are  a  salesman  in  a  retail  store,  try  to  learn 
what  is  the  most  valuable  suggestion  you  can  give  to 
your  customer  when  he  has  completed  his  purchases  from 
you  and  is  about  to  leave;  then  make  that  suggestion  in 
your  parting  remarks. 

Frequency  "Frequency  comes  next  to  coexistence  and 
last  impression  and  precedes  repetition. 
This  may  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  in  repetition  the 
suggestion  is  too  grossly  obvious,  lying  almost  on  the 
surface.  The  mind,  therefore,  is  aroused  to  opposition, 
and  a  counter-suggestion  is  formed;  while  in  frequency, 
the  suggestion,  on  account  of  the  interruption,  is  not  too 
tangibly  obvious.  The  opposition,  therefore,  is  consider- 
ably less,  and  the  suggestion  is  left  to  run  its  course." 


Laws  of  Suggestion  177 

"Coexistence  is  a  still  poorer  mode  of  suggestion  than 
repetitition ;  it  only  arouses  opposition.  Coexistence  is 
in  reality  of  the  nature  of  repetition,  for  it  is  repetition 
in  space ;  it  is  a  poor  form  of  repetition." 

"Repetition  is  the  most  unfortunate  mode  of  suggest- 
ion, while  the  best,  the  most  successful  of  all  the  partic- 
ular factors,  is  that  of  the  last  impression — that  is,  the 
mode  of  bringing  the  idea  intended  for  suggestion  at  the 
very  end.  This  rule  is  observed  by  influential  orators 
and  widely  read  popular  writers ;  it  is  known  in  rhetoric 
as  bringing  the  composition  to  a  climax.  Of  all  the 
modes  of  suggestion,  however,  the  most  powerful,  the 
most  effective  and  the  most  successful,  is  a  skillful  com- 
bination of  frequency  and  last  impression.     ,     .     .     ." 

Suggestion  by  "From  suggestion  of  ideas  I  turned 

Display —  to    suggestion    of    movements,    of 

Choice  Suggestion  acts.  In  these  experiments  on 
choice  suggestion  the  following  six 
factors  were  studied :  Abnormal  position,  colored  cover, 
strange  shape,  color  verbally  suggested,  place  verbally 
suggested  and  environment." 

Direct  and      Professor  Sidis  explains  that  he  classes  the 
Indirect  first  four  factors  in  the  following  table  as 

Suggestion  modes  of  indirect  suggestion  and  the  last 
two  factors  as  modes  of  direct  suggestion. 
The  following  table  of  total  suggestibility  in  choice  sug- 
gestion is  given  to  us  by  Professor  Sidis  as  the  result  of 
thousands  of  experiments  which  he  and  his  colleagues 
have  conducted: 


17S  Science  and  Art  of  Seelt 


NG 


PROF.  SIDIS'  TABLE  OF  TOTAL 
SUGGESTIBILITY 

Indirect  Suggestion 

Per  cent 

Strange  shape 56. 

Abnormal  position 53.2 

Environment  •  52.6 

Colored   cover   43.9 

Total  Indirect  Average 51.4% 

Direct  Suggestion 

Color  verbally  suggested , 33.3 

Place  verbally  suggested 19.9 

Total  Direct  Average  26.6% 

*'A  mere  glance  at  this  table  shows  the  great  differ- 
ence of  the  two  types  of  suggestion ;  and  this  difference 
becomes  yet  more  striking,  if  we  take  the  rate  of  the 
average  total  suggestibility  of  the  first  type  of  factors 
and  compare  it  with  that  of  the  second.  For  the  average 
total  of  the  first  four  factors  amounts  to  as  much  as 
51.4%,  while  that  of  the  last  two  amounts  only  to 
26.6%.  The  one  rate  is  about  twice  the  other.  •  The 
conclusion  is  obvious,  as  it  lies  now  before  us  clear  and 
distinct  in  its  outlines 

"Color  verbally  suggested  and  place  verbally  sug- 
gested, factors  which  we  classed  in  the  type  of  direct 
suggestion,  we  find  are  only  relatively  direct.  What  we 
really  must  say  of  them  is  that  they  far  more  approach 
the  type  of  direct  suggestion  than  the  other  four  factors 
do." 


Laws  of*  Suggestion  179 

Importance  and  Here  is  a  valuable  lesson  for  the 
Use  of  Indirect  salesman  to  take  from  the  scientists' 
Suggestion  laboratory  and  apply  to  his  every  day 

work  in  selling,  advertising  and  in 
displaying  merchandise.  The  successful  salesman  is  the 
one  who  takes  these  laws  of  psychology  and  suggestion 
out  of  the  realm  of  theory  and  applies  them  to  his 
practical  work,  and  uses  them  in  solving  his  problems 
just  as  the  engineer  or  architect  applies  the  laws  of 
engineering.  The  following  are  important  fundamental 
principles  of  suggestion  for  the  salesman  to  remember. 
If  you  work  in  accordance  with  these  laws  they  operate 
for  you,  and  if  you  do  not  work  in  harmony  with  them 
they  operate  against  you,  as  do  all  natural  laws. 

Fundamental  "A  familiar  thing  in  a  strange,  abnormal 
Principles  of  position  or  shape  produces  the  most 
Suggestion  effective  suggestion.  An  adorned  beauti- 
ful object  sheds  glory  on  its  homely 
neighbors  and  makes  them  more  eligible." 

'Tn  the  normal  state,  a  suggestion  is  more  effective 
the  more  indirect  it  is,  and  in  proportion  as  it  becomes 
direct  it  loses  its  efficacy." 

"Normal  suggestibility  varies  as  indirect  suggestion, 
and  inversely  as  direct  suggestion." 

"Abnormal  position,  strange  shape  and  environment 
are  the  most  indirect,  and  they  give  the  highest  suggesti- 
bility." 

"The  buyer  does  not  always  choose  the  precise  thing 
which  the  salesman  suggests,  but  some  other  thing  closely 
allied  to  it.  In  case  the  suggestion  is  not  successful,  it 
is  still,  as  a  rule,  realized  in  some  indirect  and  mediate 


180  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

way.  Man  is  not  always  doing  what  has  been  suggested 
to  him ;  he  sometimes  obeys  not  the  suggested  idea  itself, 
but  some  other  idea  associated  with  the  former  by  con- 
tiguity, similarity  or  contrast.  Deep  down  in  the  nature 
of  man  we  find  hidden  the  spirit  of  suggestibility. 
Every  one  of  us  is  more  or  less  suggestible." 

Indirect  The    greatest    selling    strategy    in    the 

Salesmanship  world  is  indirect  salesmanship.  A  vast 
number  of  men  go  around  the  country 
saying  Interesting  things  all  the  time — more  than  100,000 
of  them  are  traveling  salesmen.  Suppose  this  group 
were  to-day  to  decide  to  sell  Hoover,  or  any  other  man 
in  this  country.  You  are  on  a  train  for  New  York.  A 
man  enters  at  the  first  stop.  You  fall  into  a  conversa- 
tion with  him,  and  he  says:  "Hoover  is  O.  K."  You 
may  resent  his  statement  somewhat.  Another  man  gets 
on  at  the  next  station  and  says  the  same  thing.  You 
resent  his  assertion  less  than  when  the  first  man  made 
the  suggestion  to  you.  If  six  men  tell  the  average 
American  man  the  same  thing  six  times  in  succession,  he 
Is  very  unusual  If  he  does  not  get  off  the  train  and  offer 
it  as  his  own  opinion.  If  six  or  seven  men  were  to  tell 
you  In  the  course  of  a  day  that  you  were  very  pale  and 
looked  sick,  the  chances  are  that  you  would  go  home, 
tumble  Into  bed  and  send  for  the  doctor.  The  power  of 
adverse  suggestion  has  been  demonstrated  In  this  way 
repeatedly. 


Laws  of  Suggestion  181 

Value  of  Here  then  lies  a  wonderful  latent  force 

Suggestion  to    which  few  men  use  effectively.     Study 
Salesman  the  results  of  Prof.  Sidis*  experiments, 

his  explanations  and  the  principles  of 
suggestion  given  to  you  in  this  chapter  until  you  can 
apply  them  in  your  daily,  social  and  business  life.  The 
natural  laws  of  suggestion  are  operating  continually  in 
your  mind  and  in  everybody's  mind,  whether  you  recog- 
nize them  or  not.  A  suggestion  in  the  prospective  cus- 
tomer's mind  always  works  for  or  against  the  salesman. 

Positive  and       Sales  are  made  by  using  positive   sug- 
Negative  gestion,  and  sales  are  lost  by  using  neg- 

Suggestion  ative  suggestion.  I  was  in  a  grocery 
store  one  day  and  the  clerk  said  to  his 
customer:  "You  wouldn't  want  any  oranges,  would 
yoii?"  She  replied:  "No."  Didn't  he  tell  her  she 
didn't  want  any?  When  the  human  mind  is  in  a  state 
of  indifference  it  can  always  be  counted  upon  to  act 
negatively  in  response  to  a  negative  suggestion.  Every 
such  suggestion  is  an  apology,  and  yet  nine-tenths  of  the 
salesmen  of  this  country  use  the  negative  because  they 
have  been  educated  that  way.  The  man  who  is  so 
ashamed  of  his  proposition  that  he  makes  his  approach 
with  an  apology  is  not  making  a  sale,  but  killing  it. 

A  retail  store  has  been  very  successful  in  selling 
oranges  by  putting  a  beautifully  decorated  card  in  the 
window,  which  read:  "The  doctor  says,  *Eat  oranges,' 
29c  a  dozen."  The  impression  that  statement  made  on 
my  mind  was:  If  the  doctor's  advice  is — "Eat  oranges," 
I  had  better  do  it,  or  I  may  get  sick  and  have  a  doctor's 
bill  to  pay. 


182  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

An  artist  came  to  my  office  once  with  a  picture  in  his 
hand  and  inquired :  '1  don't  suppose  you  want  to  buy.  a 
picture,  do  you?"  I  told  him  I  did  not.  "I  didn't  sup- 
pose you  did/*  was  his  reply.  I  was  in  an  implement 
store  one  day  when  a  farmer  came  in.  The  dealer  said 
to  him,  "You  don't  want  to  take  a  buggy  out  with  you 
to-day,  do  you  ?"  The  farmer  answered  in  the  negative. 
Why  shouldn't  he?  Isn't  that  the  answer  the  dealer 
expected?  Let  me  illustrate  a  negative  suggestion  in 
another  way.  Suppose  a  young  man  decided  to  get 
married,  and  hesitatingly  proposed  in  this  fashion: 
"Mary,  you  wouldn't  want  to  get  married,  would  you?" 
Do  you  think  Mary  would  say :  "Yes."  Not  unless  she 
thought  it  was  her  last  chance. 

A  Shrewd  I  wanted  to  buy  a  black,  light-weight  over- 
Use  of  coat  and  called  upon  several  of  the  clothing 
Suggestion  stores  to  see  if  they  had  what  I  wanted. 
In  one  place  the  clerk  said:  "We  haven't  what  you 
want  in  black.  You  wouldn't  want  a  grey  Oxford, 
would  you  ?"  I  took  his  word  for  it  and  replied :  "No." 
I  then  visited  a  tailor  and  discovered  that  he  understood 
the  difference  between  positive  and  negative  suggestion. 
I  did  not  tell  him  I  wanted  a  coat,  mind  you.  I  told 
him  I  was  just  looking,  and  that  was  the  truth.  After 
satisfying  me  with  the  goods,  he  inquired:  "Do  you 
want  a  velvet  :ollar,  or  one  made  of  the  same  material 
as  the  coat."  A  pair  of  positives,  notice,  and  I  had  not 
yet  told  him  I  would  take  the  coat.  Then  he  said :  "We 
will  make  you  a  collar  of  each  kind  and  you  can  have 
It  changed  when  you  desire  it," — a  positive  clincher. 
Then  he  showed  me  styles  and  wanted  to  know  whether 


Lvvws  OF  Suggestion  183 

I  preferred  it  made  loose  or  close  fitting.  He  landed 
me  with  five  positives.  I  had  entered  his  shop  undecided, 
but  he  got  some  of  my  money  before  I  left.  Positive 
suggeslion  did  it. 

One  Department  The  repair  shop  in  connection  with  a 
Helps  Another  shoe  store  did  a  desultory  business. 
by  Means  of  The  manager  instructed  his  salesmen 

Suggestion  to   ask  each   customer  after  he  had 

made  a  sale:  "Now,  would  you  like 
to  have  your  old  shoes  half-soled?  We  m::intain  a  re- 
pair shop,  and  can  deliver  them  promptly."  As  a  result, 
the  repair-shop  business  increased  30%  w^ithin  a  month. 
One  department  store  improved  its  business  more  than 
$5,000  a  month  in  sales  that  were  the  direct  result  of 
salespeople  on  one  floor  suggesting,  to  the  customer,  an 
attractive  offer  in  some  other  department,  and  giving 
the  customer  a  card  of  introduction  to  the  salesman  in 
that  section  • 

Another  I  went  into  a  store  one  day  to  buy  a 

Illustration  collar.  I  told  the  proprietor  the  size  and 
style  I  wanted.  Ignoring  my  statement, 
he  opened  the  collar  box  and  inquired :  "How  many  do 
you  want — four  ?"  I  asked :  "How  does  it  happen  that 
you  ask  me  if  I  want  four  collars  when  I  said  I  wanted 
only  one?"  "Well,"  he  replied,  "I  thought  maybe  you 
could  use  them."  Suggestion,  you  notice.  I  told  him  I 
would  take  two.  Then  he  added  with  a  smile:  "The 
next  time  I  will  ask  you  to  take  eight." 


184  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

*' Something?"  On  another  occasion  when  I  wanted 
a  Bad  Approach  a  collar,  the  clerk  asked:  **Some- 
thing?"  Now,  why  didn't  that  clerk 
take  it  for  granted  that  I  was  there  to  buy,  and  ask  me 
a  positive  question  instead  of  a  negative  one?  If  that 
clerk  woke  up  at  three  in  the  morning  and  found  some- 
one going  through  his  pockets,  do  you  think  he  would 
raise  on  his  elbow  and  inquire:  "Something?"  No,  he 
would  know  the  man  was  there  for  "something."  If 
the  salesman  were  in  a  mental  attitude  of  positive  ex- 
pectancy he  would  be  more  likely  to  ask  his  visitor  what 
he  could  do  for  him  than  to  offer  a  negative  suggestion. 
Indifference  is  always  negative,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most 
demoralizing  and  sales  killing  influences  among  the 
salespeople  of  this  country. 

Chloroforming        But  to  go  back  to  the  collar.     As  I 
the  Mind  handed  the  clerk  the  pay  for  the  col- 

lars, he  inquired:  "That's  all,  is  it?" 
and  I  walked  out.  Instead  ©f  chloroforming  my  mind 
into  inaction  by  saying:  "That's  all,"  suppose  he  had 
suggested  two  collars  and  called  my  attention  to  ties, 
shirts,  handkerchiefs  or  socks,  some  of  which  articles 
most  men  usually  need.  It  is  the  business  of  the  sales- 
man to  do  some  thinking  for  his  customers.  If  he  does 
not,  someone  else,  whose  mind  is  awake,  will  do  it  and 
make  the  sales. 

Thinking  for      A  clerk  said  a  man  came  in  one  day  to 

the  Customer     get  a  $1.50  shirt.     The  clerk  promptly 

showed  him  the  garment.     The  prospect 

and  his  wife  were  pleased  and  decided  to  take  it.     The 


Laws  of  Suggestion  185 

clerk,  however,  was  not  quite  satisfied.  He  decided  to 
use  suggestion.  He  placed  a  $2.50  shirt  and  the  $1.50 
shirt  side  by  side.  The  customer  talked  about  the  cheap 
shirt,  and  the  clerk  discussed  the  higher  priced  one. 
Result:  the  man  bought  two  $2.50  shirts  and  liked 
them  so  well  that  he  came  back  the  next  morning  and 
purchased  another  at  the  same  price.  It  is  suggestion 
of  this  kind  that  gets  results  and  gives  better  satisfaction. 
In  another  chapter  reference  is  made  to  a  clerk  in  a 
clothing  store  who  has  pushed  his  sales  up  to  nearly 
$100,000  a  year  by  this  process. 

Negative  Here  is  an  illustration  which  shows  the 

Suggestion  effect  of  a  negative  suggestion.  A 
Loses  Sales  farmer  came  to  town  to  buy  a  self- 
binder.  He  looked  at  one  binder  and 
was  so  well  satisfied  that  he  was  about  to  buy  it.  At 
this  point  the  salesman,  thinking  he  would  make  a  hit 
arid  close  the  sale  immediately,  said:  "I'll  tell  you,  this 
binder  has  given  us  very  little  trouble."  Now,  the 
farmer  was  not  looking  for  a  machine  of  that  sort.  He 
had  enough  troubles  of  another  kind  and  did  not  want 
even  a  little  trouble  w^th  a  binder.  That  one  suggestion 
scared  him  away.  He  went  out  and  bought  from  a 
salesman  who  declared  positively.  ^Thls  binder  has 
given  excellent  satisfaction." 

A  Keen  I   once   saw  the  advertisement  of   a  top- 

Positive  buggy  in  a  mail  order  catalog.     The  price 

Suggestion    printed     under    the    buggy    was    $39.00. 
Alongside  the  buggy  In  big  letters  was  this 
statement:  "Don't  buy  a  cheap  buggy."    The  whole  ad- 


186  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

vertisement  carried  the  Idea  of  exceptional  value.  It 
brought  many  orders.  It  gave  the  impression  of  big 
value  at  a  low  price. 

The  Weak  A  traveling  salesman  walked  into  a  store 
Negative  and  introduced  himself  as  a  representative 
Suggestion  of  Blank  &  Company,  handling  a  certain 
line  of  goods.  Then  he  inquired:  "Are 
you  in  need  of  anything  in  my  line?"  The  merchant 
replied:  *'No."  "Well,"  continued  the  salesman,  "I 
have  a  very  good  price."  The  merchant  declared  he 
w^asn't  interested,  and  the  salesman  went  out,  saying  he 
would  call  again.  The  instances  of  negative  suggestion 
given  in  the  preceding  pages  clearly  illustrate  the  weak- 
ness of  this  salesman's  method  of  approach. 

Avoid  All  Never  make  a  negative  suggestion  to  a 

'Negative  customer.     Thousands  of  dollars  worth 

Suggestions  of  sales  are  lost  in  that  way.  If  you  are 
showing  him  hats  and  think  you  might 
sell  him  a  Panama,  do  not  ask:  "I  don't  suppose  you 
would  want  a  Panama,  would  you?"  How  do  you  ex- 
pect to  sell  a  Panama  if  you  suggest  to  your  prospective 
customer  that  he  doesn't  want  it?  Instead,  you  might 
say:  "We  have  some  handsome  Panama  hats  here  that 
I  consider  very  fine."  Then  find  one  that  is  the  type  of 
hat  your  prospective  customer  wears,  and  say  enthusias- 
tically :  "Here  is  the  style  that  is  particularly  becoming 
to  you." 


Laws  of  Suggestion  187 

Some  Do  not  say  to  a  person  when  showing  an 

Illustrations  article:  ''That  doesn't  look  bad."  It 
would  be  better  to  say:  "That  looks 
very  fine."  When  you  think  your  prospective  customer 
has  purchased  all  he  desires,  don't  inquire:  "Now,  will 
that  be  all."  It  is  better  to  ask :  "Now,  what  else  ?"  or, 
"Isn't  there  something  else  you  would  like  to  see?"  This 
way  of  putting  it  induces  the  mind  of  the  customer  to 
think  of  things  he  needs,  or  may  have  forgotten.  Al- 
ways use  the  positive  form. 

Man  is  a  Dr.  Walter  Dill  Scott  has  said :  "Man  has 
Creature  of  been  called  the  reasoning  animal,  but  he 
Suggestion  could,  with  greater  truthfulness,  be  called 
the  creature  of  suggestion.  He  is  reason- 
able, but  he  is  to  a  greater  extent  suggestible." 

Reactive  The  character  of  the  salesman  is  affected 
Effect  of  by  the  use  of  good  or  bad  suggestion.  No 
Suggestion  matter  whether  the  suggestion  is  good  or 
bad,  it  is  bound  to  react  upon  the  character 
of  the  one  who  makes  it.  He  cannot  suggest  life-giving, 
invigorating,  positive,  moral  principles  without  being 
helped  himself.  It  is  impossible  for  one  to  think  and 
talk  and  act  in  accordance  with  the  great  forces  of  life 
without  being  lifted  up   and  inspired  by  his  own  message. 

Importance    Just  as  a  man  can  influence  the  subcon- 
of  Auto-  scious  mind  of  another  by  suggestion,  so  he 

Suggestion     can  control  his  own  subconscious  mind  by 
auto-suggestion.     All  we  have  to  do  is  to 
determine  on  a  certain  course,  and  resolve  to  pursue  it, 


188  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

and  the  subconscious  self,  which  is  a  great  force,  accepts 
the  suggestion,  and  helps  us  to  develop  new  powers  and 
carry  out  our  purpose.  In  order  to  gain  results  which 
are  worthy,  we  must  think  in  harmony  with  the  great 
principles  of  truth  and  right.  Truth  perpetuates  itself 
by  virtue  of  its  own  inherent  vitality.  Every  truth  is 
itself  a  part  of  an  organized  system  w^hich  is  co-extensive 
with  the  Universe  of  God.  On  the  other  hand,  every 
falsehood,  every  error,  every  wrong  idea  is  a  prolific 
source  of  possible  evil,  for  no  correct  conclusion  can  be 
drawn  from  a  false  premise. 


How  to  Make  some  careful  experiments  with  auto- 

Develop  suggestion  yourself.     When  you   retire   at 

Yourself  night,  impress  your  subconscious  mind  vei*y 
strongly  with  the  fact  that  you  must 
awaken  at  a  certain  hour  in  the  morning.  Note  the 
result.  Try  impressing  some  particular  subject  on  your 
mind  to  be  thought  of  when  you  first  awaken.  Repeat 
some  formula  of  good  cheer  daily  on  arising,  earnestly 
and  honestly  desiring  to  realize  it.  The  following  form- 
ula is  suggested :  "I  will  get  all  the  comfort  and  pleasure 
possible  out  of  this  day,  and  I  will  do  something  to  add 
to  the  world's  happiness  and  well  being.  I  will  control 
myself  when  tempted  to  be  irritable  and  unhappy,  and  I 
will  look  for  the  bright  side  in  every  event."  Persevere 
in  these  and  similar  exercises  in  auto-suggestion,  and 
you  will  gradually  develop  a  strong,  winning  personality, 
capable  of  commanding  business  success. 


Laws  of  Suggestion  189 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  Define  Suggestion.     Name  two  kinds. 

2.  Give  an  illustration  of  some  suggestion  you  have 
either  given  or  noticed. 

3.  What  factors  enter  into  the  effectiveness  of  sug- 
gestion ? 

4.  How  does  the  advertising  man  make  use  of  the 
law  of  suggestion? 

5.  When  would  you  use  indirect  suggestions  ?  When 
direct  ? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  Auto-suggestion? 

7.  We  suggest  that  several  experiments  be  tried  at 
this  point  by  way  of  demonstrating  this  law.  Such 
as,  having  students  close  their  eyes  and  then  have  sev- 
eral bottles  filled  respectively  with  water,  camphor  per- 
fumery of  various  kinds,  etc.,  and  then  by  uncorking 
one  and  pouring  some  of  the  contents  on  the  table  or 
floor,  have  them  raise  a  hand  when  they  detect  the  odor, 
and  of  course  the  instructor  will  be  continually  suggest- 
ing such  and  such  an  odor  when  in  fact  he  has  used 
something  else.  Various  original  experiments  may  be 
tried  to  the  surprise  of  the  class. 


CHART  XXI.      RETAIL  SALESPEOPLE 
190 


PART  III 

Retail  Salesmanship 
CHAPTER  XIX 


The  Retail  Salesman 

By  Lucille  Meyer  ix  "Personal  Efficiency" 

Tact  A  salesman's  first  requisite  should  be  tact.   He 

needs  keen  perception  to  enable  him  to  class- 
ify a  customer,  to  discover  the  motive  in  buying  an 
article,  to  handle  a  difficult  case  where  the  customer  is 
dissatisfied  and  aggrieved,  and  to  suit  the  customer  so 
that  she  will  return  to  the  firm  and  to  him,  time  and 
time  again. 

Nerve  His  second  requisite  should  be  nerve,  for  it 
requires  nerve  to  approach  a  customer  with  a 
proposition  and  to  take  a  rebuff.  It  takes  nerve  to  try 
again  and  again  to  bring  his  goods  to  the  attention  of  the 
customer. 

Grit  His  third  requisite  should  be  grit.     That  is 

very  necessary  to  succeed  in  closing  a  sale, 
for  much  patience  is  required  to  clinch  it. 

Pleasing         It  is  essential  to  possess  a  soft,   pleasing 
Voice  voice,  with  the  right  degree  of  character 

and  force  vibrating  through  it.  Neat  and 
proper  dress  is  essential  to  a  good  salesman,  as  are  pleas- 
ing manners  and  habits.  Such  habits  as  the  chewing  of 
gum,  smoking  and  powdering  are  unnecessary  in  busi- 

191 


192  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

ness  hours  and  give  the  Impression  of  suiting  one's  own 
comfort  without  the  thought  of  inconvenience  to  others. 
Correct  language  is  also  necessary,  as  grammatical  mis- 
takes offend  the  ear. 

Mastery  The  salesman  must  possess  self-reliance, 
of  Self  self-respect  and  dignity,  together  with  poise, 

to  make  a  success.  To  develop  poise,  it  is 
best  to  cultivate  optimism,  mastery  of  one's  self,  and  the 
desire  to  please  others.  Also,  if  the  salesman  has  am- 
bition and  is  willing  to  work  towards  its  realization,  he 
will  acquire  enthusiasm  for  the  work  he  is  doing.  This 
can  be  accomplished  by  idealizing  his  proposition  and 
using  his  imagination  to  enable  the  prospect  to  see  it. 

Optimism       To   look   for  the  good   in  others   and  not 
criticize,  and  not  to  fear  making  mistakes, 
but  to  learn  from  them,  should  be  the  motto  of  every 
salesman. 

Inspire  To  inspire  confidence,  you  must,  in  the  first 

Confidence  place,  be  prepared  to  answer  questions  by 
learning  all  there  is  to  know  about  the  goods 
beforehand.  Know  their  origin,  the  process  of  manu- 
facture, the  quality  of  the  particular  articles  you  are 
selling  and  their  relation  to  other  qualities ;  also  learn  to 
know  the  comparison  of  each  brand. 

Study  Firm's      Study  the  firm's  advertising  and  learn 
Advertising        just  what  specials  will  be  on  sale  each 
day  and  where  they  can  be  found. 


Retail  Salesmanship 


193 


Study  Firm's      Become  familiar  with  the  firm's  window 
Window  display  each  morning-  and  inquire  where 

each  article  is  carried,  if  you  do  not  al- 
ready know. 


Study- 
Shipping 
Department 

towns. 


Find  out  just  what  sort  of  service  the 
shipping  department  can  give,  just  what 
days  or  hours  it  delivers  goods  to  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  town  or  neighboring 


Learn  Other       Learn  just  where  the  other  departments 
Departments      are  located  in  the  store  and  what  special 
novelties  are  on  sale. 


Learn  If  you  can  discover  anything  about  the 

Customer's  financial  standing  of  a  customer  before 

Financial  giving  credit,  do  so  and  that  will  benefit 

Standing  the  credit  department  and  yourself.     By 

anticipating  objections  to  your  goods, 
you  will  be  ready  with  an  answer  and  not  be  flustered. 
Offset  any  little  disadvantages  or  defects  in  the  best 
possible  way. 

Make  If  you  have  an  opportunity  to  dispose  of  an 

Friends  article  w4iich  you  know  will  prove  unsatisfac- 
tory, don't  do  it.  Make  a  friend  instead  of  a 
sale.  By  telling  the  truth  at  all  times,  whether  it  is 
somewhat  detrimental  or  not,  you  will  inspire  confidence, 
for  most  customers  can  see  by  your  manner  anyw^ay, 
whether  or  not  you  are  lying.  If  you  make  a  promise, 
see  that  it  is  kept  at  all  costs.  Treat  your  customer  as  an 
equal.    If  there  is  a  doubt,  give  your  customer  the  benefit 


104  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

of  the  doubt.  Look  at  your  customer  while  speaking. 
There  is  nothing  more  annoying  than  to  have  the  sales- 
man turn  his  head  during  the  talk,  while  making  a  sale. 
Above  all,  to  inspire  confidence  you  must  believe  in 
yourself,  your  goods,  your  store  and  your  customer. 

Smile  When  a  customer  first  approaches  your 
counter,  smile  and  give  a  pleasant  greeting. 
Mention  something  special  which  you  have  in  stock  and 
which  you  would  like  to  show  her,  or  if  she  has  already 
interested  herself  in  something  on  display,  demonstrate 
the  article.  If  you  are  busy  with  another  custojner,  ac- 
knowledge her  presence  and  say:  ''J^st  a  minute, 
please,"  which  will  make  her  feel  more  like  waiting  for 
you  to  finish.  If  the  customer  has  her  arms  full  of 
bundles,  relieve  her  of  them  and  seat  her  If  possible,  as 
this  will  put  her  in  a  more  receptive  mood  for  your 
sales  talk. 

Study  Decide  which  motive  will  most  influence  her 
Buying  buying — will  it  be  that  of  gain,  utility,  pride, 
Motives  caution  or  weakness?  If  the  article  which 
she  desires  Is  outer  wearing  apparel,  ask  if 
that  which  she  wears  suits  her;  if  so,  try  to  duplicate. 
Telephone  your  customers  In  your  spare  time  of  special 
sales  or  new  stock  just  received  or  send  announcements 
to  them,  which  will  again  bring  your  store  or  firm  favor- 
ably to  their  attention. 

Demonstrate      To  secure  the  interest  of  the  customer, 

Your  Goods        demonstrate    your    goods    immediately. 

Do   not   merely   hold  them  up   and   tell 

the  price.    If  it  is  a  tie,  show  it  made  up  against  a  shirt. 


Retail  Salesmanship  195 

If  It  is  a  bolt  of  cloth,  avoid  showing  the  ragged  edge 
and  hold  it  up  to  the  light,  draping  it  over  your  hand  or 
against  the  customer.  Place  the  goods  in  your  customer's 
hands  as  soon  as  possible,  as  that  will  give  the  sense  of 
ownership  or  possession,  which  will  make  it  hard  for  her 
to  part  with  the  article.  If  you  are  selling  a  coat,  suit, 
dress,  skirt  or  hat,  try  it  on  the  customer  as  soon  as 
possible  and  conduct  her  to  a  mirror  and  demonstrate 
the  good  points. 

Study  Your  Do  not  do  all  the  talking.  Let  the  cus- 
Customer  tomer   talk.      If    slic    enumerates    her 

troubles,  show  the  utmost  sympathy  and 
intense  interest,  but  don't,  under  any  conditions,  tell  her 
of  your  troubles.  It  is  always  tiresome  to  listen  to 
anyone  else  but  yourself. 

If  you  are  showing  two  bolts  of  cloth  which  clash 
in  color,  neutralize  them  by  separating  with  black,  grey 
or  white.  If  a  dark  blue  cloth  is  wanted  which  does 
not  seem  to  be  dark  enough  to  suit,  show  it  alongside  a 
light  shade,  w^hich  will  emphasize  its  darkness. 

If  your  customer  is  in  haste,  be  quick  about  demon- 
strating. Have  every  action  show  haste,  as  nothing  is 
so  annoying  as  to  have  a  slow  salesperson  wait  on  a 
customer  who  is  in  a  hurry. 

Closing  When  demonstrating  goods  and  giving  your 

the  Sale  sales  arguments,  if  the  customer  shows  lack 

of  attention  and  interest,  revert  to  another 
subject,  like  the  weather.  Don't,  by  any  means,  hurry 
a  customer  or  give  the  impression  you  are  tired  of  her 
and  wish  to  get  rid  of  her. 


lOG  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

If  the  customer's  first  question  is  the  price,  ask  her 
to  let  you  demonstrate  your  article  and  show  its  fine 
points  before  telling  the  price,  as  she  could  not  properly 
judge  the  real  value  of  the  goods  otherwise. 

Learn  the  customer's  name  as  soon  as  possible  and 
remember  it,  in  order  to  greet  her  by  name  the  next 
time. 

When  making  the  sale,  tie  bundles  securely  and  neatly. 
Offer  to  make  one  large  package  of  several  small  bun- 
dles. 

Make  Two     After    making    one    sale,    suggest    another 
Sales  article    appropriately   going    with    the    one 

Instead  you  have  sold.     Suggest  tooth  paste,  if  a 

of  One  brush  has  been  bought.     If  a  new  dress  or 

coat  has  been  sold,  suggest  tr3'ing  on  "just 
the  hat"  to  look  well  with  it.  Always  try  to  make  two 
sales  instead  of  one. 

What  Not      1.     Don't  ask  the  customer :    "What  else?" 
to  Do  Suggest  something. 

2.  Don't  wrangle  with  fellow-workers  or 
talk  personally  to  them  if  there  is  a  customer  near  your 
counter. 

3.  Don't  base  your  sale  argument  on  price — it  is 
quahty  that  counts. 

4.  Don't  under  any  condition,  cut  a  price.  Be  sure 
that  you  ask  your  rock-bottom  price  in  the  first  place 
and  do  not  reduce  it  by  any  means. 


Retail  Salesmansttip  197 

5.  Don't  use  stereotyped  phrases  such  as :  "Nothing 
else,  is  there?"  or,  "That  all?" 

6.  Don't  argue  with  a  customer.  If  you  win  the  ar- 
gument, you  lose  your  customer  and  if  you  lose  the  ar- 
gument, you  lose  your  customer  anyway. 

7.  Don't  disobey  orders;  follow  them.  After  carry- 
ing them  out,  then  offer  suggestions. 

8.  Don't  throw  responsibility  on  others.  Assume 
some  yourself. 

9.  Don't  criticize  another  customer  or  competitor  be- 
fore a  customer. 

10.  Don't  get  angry  when  a  customer  comes  up  to 
your  counter  and  shouts  at  you  because  you  have  made 
a  mistake  or  because  there  is  poor  workmanship  in  the 
material.  Keep  cool.  Keep  your  own  voice,  very  low 
and  pleasant,  ask  her  to  be  seated,  and  listen  to  her 
complaint  very  carefully.  If  the  complaint  is  about  the 
material,  request  permission  to  see  it  and  examine  it 
painstakingly  and  find  the  defect.  If  the  defect  is  the 
fault  of  the  factory,  tell  her  you  will  send  it  back  to 
them  and  replace  the  article  with  a  brand  new  one, 
showing  her  that  there  is  no  defect  in  the  second  one. 
If,  as  in  the  case  of  'dress  goods,  a  thread  has  broken 
through  none  too  careful  handling,  explain  politely  but 
firmly  that  it  is  not  the  store's  fault.  If  there  is  a  doubt, 
give  the  customer  the  benefit  of  the  doubt.  If  the 
grievance  was  the  delivery  service,  see  that  the  article  or 
articles  are  sent  immediately  and  explain  that  rush  of 
business  has  caused  the  delay.  Above  all,  send  the  cus- 
tomer away  satisfied  and  with  the  feeling  that  she  has 
been  treated  squarely. 


198  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

RETAIL  SELLING  HINTS 
By  a  Successful  Saleslady 

Promptness  In  order  to  be  a  good  retail  salesperson 
and  Neatness  you  must  be  on  duty  promptly,  neat  in 
appearance,  of  a  cheerful  disposition  and 
have  the  faculty  of  making  and  keeping  customers.  To 
accomplish  all  this  you  arrive  promptly  at  your  place  of 
duty,  after  having  paid  careful  and  due  attention  to 
your  toilette. 

The  A  saleslady's  dress  should  be  neat,  fresh, 

Saleslady's  clean    and    of    good    taste.      Her    hair 

Dress  should    be    becomingly    combed,    hands 

well  manicured  and  her  feet  well  and 
neatly  shod.  In  many  stores  clerks  dress  in  uniform. 
When  their  clothes  are  left  to  their  own  choosing,  the 
clerk  should  choose  clothes  becoming  in  line  and  color, 
leaning  more  towards  conservative  styles  than  toward 
the  extreme.  She  should  avoid  the  cheap,  flashy  and 
daring  costumes  while  on  duty.  A  quietly  dressed, 
modest,  well  poised  clerk  behind  the  counter,  Inquiring 
cheerfully  in  a  well  modulated  voice  whether  there  is 
not  "something  I  can  show  you?"  will  go  far  toward 
making  a  sale. 

Approach  When   a   visitor   enters   the   store   it   is 

Customer  usually    for   the   purpose   of   making   a 

with  Interest      purchase    sooner    or    later.      The    clerk 
should   greet   her  with   all   interest   and 
deference  whether  she  seems  a  promising  buyer  or  not. 


Retail  Salesmanship  199 

She  may  walk  to  the  gingham  counter  and  ask  to  see  your 
gingham,  and  you  take  bolt  after  bolt  down  and  unfold 
them.  She  decides  it  is  not  what  she  wants  but  asks  for 
samples  of  each.  She  may  then  go  to  another  counter, 
for  instance,  ribbon,  and  go  through  the  same  process  ; 
then  glance  around  the  room  and  state  that  she  really 
does  not  find  anything  she  cares  to  buy  to-day,  but  will 
call  again. 

Be  Willing  The  next  customer  that  comes  in  asks 

to  Show  Goods  for  a  certain  piece  of  goods.  You 
have  it  and  sell  it.  Then  you  ask 
her  if  there  is  something  else.  She  says,  "No,"  but  you 
ask  her  if  you  could  show  her  a  special  line,  such  as 
coats,  dresses,  etc.  She  states  she  would  like  to  look 
over  the  line,  but  does  not  promise  to  buy.  However, 
you  would  be  pleased  to  show  her.  You  take  her  back 
and  show  her  the  coats.  You  learn  that  she  really  wants 
to  buy  and  will  need  a  coat  sometime  soon.  So  you 
discover  the  style,  color,  size  and  quality  she  is  interested 
in. 

The  customer  wants  blue,  size  42.  The  clerk  shows 
a  nice  line  (you  must  be  sure  to  know  just  where  to 
find  the  size  of  coat  she  wants  to  bring  best  results.) 
Have  her  slip  into  the  coat,  fasten  it  up,  show  her  the 
quality,  style  and  how  becoming  it  is  to  her.  When  you 
see  a  coat  that  your  customer  is  well  pleased  with,  then 
stick  to  that  coat  and  have  her  decide  at  once  for  fear 
that  certain  coat  will  be  gone  when  she  returns.  The 
customer  then  finally  decides  and  walks  out. 


200  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Get  Acquainted  While  showing  goods  to  your  cus- 
with  Customer  tomer  try  to  get  acquainted  with  her. 
Find  out  how  many  children  she  has, 
if  married,  and  when  they  will  need  coats,  dresses,  shoes 
or  hats.  This  will  show  your  customer  that  you  are 
interested  in  her  and  she  will  be  pleased,  and  nine 
chances  out  of  ten  you  will  sell  her  a  large  bill  before 
she  leaves  the  store. 


Satisfy  Be  sure  you  have  your  customer  satisfied 

Customer  before  she  leaves  so  she  will  want  to  come 
back.  *'A  satisfied  customer  always  re- 
turns." Let  her  know  she  has  purchased  a  good  quality 
at  a  very  reasonable  price.  Most  people  try  to  find  the 
certain  clerk  who  takes  the  most  interest  in  them. 

A  clerk  can  substitute  at  times  when  she  has  not  the 
article  that  her  customer  calls  for.  For  instance,  a  cus- 
tomer calls  for  organdie.  The  clerk  says:  "We  have 
just  sold  our  last  yard  of  it,  but  if  you  want  something 
for  trimming  I  shall  be  glad  to  show  you  lawn  or  flaxon 
which  will  make  up  nicely,  wear  and  wash  well."  The 
customer  then  has  confidence  in  her  clerk.  She  buys 
and  goes  out  pleased. 

Often  we  have  people  come  in  that  we  call  "Spotters." 
A  clerk  should  beware  of  such  people.  Spotters  gener- 
ally have  a  store  of  their  own,  or  are  working  in  a  store. 

They  are  curious  to  learn  what  lines  we  carry,  com- 
pare prices  and  of  course  find  good  points  to  add  to  their 
selling  ability.  Treat  them  courteously,  but  don't  show 
them  your  stock  or  let  them  meddle  with  it. 


Retail  Salesmanship  201 

Keep  Store  A   store   should   be   kept   clean.      Wash 

Clean  your   show   cases,   mirrors,   glasses   and 

counters  often.  Dust  the  shelves  fre- 
quently. Never  throw  paper  or  rubbish  on  the  floor. 
Whenever  you  see  paper  on  anything  else  that  should 
not  be  there,  always  pick  it  up  and  throw  it  into  the 
waste  basket. 

Employees  There  should  be  team  work  among  sales- 

Should  people,  whether  working  in  a  department. 

Co-operate  store   or   not.      In   a   department    store, 

help  each  other  whenever  you  can.  If 
you  have  a  suit  department  and  sell  a  lady  a  suit,  find 
out  if  she  needs  a  corset,  and  if  you  take  her  over  to 
that  department,  introduce  her  to  the  corset  lady,  say 
that  she  is  interested  in  corsets,  and  the  corset  lady  will 
return  the  same  courtesy  to  you  at  another  time.  You 
will  be  surprised  to  see  how  you  can  increase  your  sales 
by  working  together  in  this  way,  and  help  each  other 
when  you  have  a  good  chance.  Often  a  good  suggestion 
will  enable  a  customer  to  decide. 

Stock  Records         Stock  keeping  is  very  important.    You 
and  Display  must  know  your  line  well,  what  you 

have  in  stock,  what  is  coming  in 
and  where  to  find  your  stock.  Keep  your  stock  filled 
up.  Don't  carry  too  large  a  line  at  one  time,  so  you 
will  be  overstocked.  It  is  best  to  order  often,  keep  the 
latest  styles,  and  turn  your  goods  often.  Always  have 
plenty  of  staple  goods,  such  as  hosiery  and  notions. 

You  should  be  well  posted  on  how  and  what  to  answer, 
for  instance,  when  asked  in  reference  to  a  material  which 


202  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

has  just  been  purchased,  such  as  washing,  shrinking,  lat- 
est styles,  and  how  many  yards  of  gingham  for  a  dress 
like  a  certain  pattern. 

Displaying  your  stock  will  help  you  sell  more  mer- 
chandise. Be  sure  you  display  your  stock  in  the  most 
pleasing  way  to  the  eye.  Show  your  best  qualities. 
Display  them  attractively  in  colors,  and  change  your 
display  often.  It  is  well  to  have  price  cards  on  every 
article  that  is  on  display  in  the  store,  so  people  can  see 
the  price  at  once.  While  in  the  window  it  is  all  right  to 
have  your  price  card  on  each  article  at  times.  Then, 
again,  it  is  bad,  for  there  are  people  that  may  have  bought 
a  coat  which  was  in  the  window  and  don't  want  other 
people  to  know  what  they  paid  for  it.     • 


CHAPTER  XX 


Suggestions   to   Salespeople 

By  Sam  Davis^  A  National  Authority  on  Retailing 

The  Value  The  courteous  clerk  had  completed  the 

of  Saying  sale.     He  had  wrapped  the  goods  neatly 

"Thank  You"  in  a  compact  package  and  handed  back 
the  change,  when  he  closed  the  whole 
transaction  with  a  smiling  "Thank  you." 

But  what  a  lot  these  W'Ords  meant !  Great  businesses 
have  been  built  largely  upon  such  courtesy  and  many  a 
fine  organization  has  lost  prestige  and  finally  fallen  into 
decay  because  the  clerk  forgot  "Thank  you,"  and  similar 
"trifles." 

"Thank  you !"  is  the  finishing  touch  of  the  sale.  It 
tells  the  customer  that  you  appreciate  his  patronage. 
You  may  show  him  all  these  things  by  courteous  atten- 
tion, by  service,  by  the  care  with  which  you  take  his  or- 
ders and  the  suggestions  that  you  give  him,  but  at  the 
end  if  you  do  not  cap  the  sale  with  a  pleasant  "Thank 
you,"  a.  considerable  part  of  the  good  impression  is  lost. 

Get  Acquainted  Take  a  mental  inventory  of  yourself 
with  Yourself  when  you  are  alone.  Get  better  ac- 
quainted with  your  real  self.  Let  go 
of  the  thoughts  that  keep  you  back — ^grlp  the  ideas  that 
lead  you  on.  Bear  patiently  the  little  trials  of  daily  life. 
Learn  the  power  of  self-control. 

Don't  merely  spend  your  time  in  the  store.  Invest  it 
so  it  will  bring  bigger  dividends. 

The  better  posted,  the  better  paid.  Learn  and  you 
earn.    Know  and  you  grow ! 

203 


204  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Could  you  hold  down  a  better  job  if  you  had  the 
chance?  Have  you  fitted  yourself  for  bigger  responsi- 
bility? What  do  you  know  about  the  job  above  yours? 
Have  you  the  confidence?  Have  you  ideas?  What  are 
you  doing  now  to  bring  yourself  more  prominently  be- 
fore the  favorable  attention  of  your  executives  ? 

Study  Think  it  over.     Ask  questions  about  your 

Your  Job  job.  Don't  blame  Fate  or  ''luck."  When 
you  get  home  tonight,  take  a  good,  long 
look  in  the  mirror  and  study  your  best  friend  or  worse 
enemy,  right  there  looking  back  at  you ! 

Now  It  is  up  to  you  behind  the  counter*  YouVe  sim- 
ply got  to  develop  more  energy  and  perseverance. 

All  advancement  must  be  inspired  by  confidence,  not 
only  in  the  man  you  are  working  for,  but  in  yourself. 
Successful  business  men  to-day  are  choosing  men  for 
what  they  are  and  not  for  what  they  claim  to  be. 

Spell  "Service"  thus: 

Smile. 

Energy. 

i^eliability. 

Feracity. 

initiative. 

Courtesy. 

Earnestness. 

Service  The  permanent  success  of  any  store  de- 

Creates  pends    on   that   quality   of    service   that 

Satisfaction        carries  with  it  perfect  confidence.     This 
confidence  hangs  on  a  thread.     If  you 
treat  the  customer  intelligently,  courteously  and  right. 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  205 

that  thread  becomes  as  strong  as  a  cable,  and  if  we  abuse 
that  confidence,  that  thread  can  break  as  easily  as  a 
cobweb.  So  let  us  take  an  imaginary  triangle,  the  two 
sides  of  which  are  the  Dealer  and  Clerk.  Now  the 
bottom  line  represents  the  customer.  Notice  how  the 
customer  supports  both  the  clerk  and  dealer?  A-^^-ain 
observe  how  the  deader  and  the  clerk  must  stick  together 
at  the  top  and  both  hold  the  customer?  This  trade- 
triangle  rests  on  the  foundation  of  Service! 

Every  disappointed  customer,  every  unkept  promise, 
every  misstatement  or  misrepresentation  means  a  loos- 
ened stone  in  the  foundation.  So  let  us  build  solidly, 
safely,  strong  and  successfully. 

Hold  Never  let   a   customer  get   away   from 

Customer's  your  counter  or  department  without  an 

Goodwill  inquiry  as  to  his  desires,  even  if  you  are 

busy  v/ith  another  customer.  A  courte- 
ous word  in  season  will  nearly  always  hold  a  customer 
for  a  few  minutes,  while  lack  of  attention  will  drive  her 
away  with  a  grouch  against  both  you  and  the  store. 
The  floor  man  cannot  always  be  on  the  spot  and  it  is 
your  dut}^  to  notice  all  w^ho  come  in  your  vicinity,  and 
assure  them  that  they  are  not  wilfully  neglected.  Don't 
let  any  one  get  away.     It's  not  business. 

One  of  the  country's  most  prominent  men  in  an  ad- 
dress to  the  salespeople  of  a  large  city  store  remarked : 

"If  I  were  a  clerk  in  a  department  store  it  would  be 
one  of  my  greatest  ambitions  to  never  let  a  customer  ask 
me  to  be  shown  anything.  I  would  always  be  quick  to 
greet  her  in  the  proper  manner  as  she  approached  my 
station,  not  too  eagerly,  but  just  pleasantly  inquire,  as  to 


206  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

her  wishes  and  then  fill  them  to  the  best  of  my  ability." 
Loss  of  sales  means  loss  of  profits,  and  poorly  kept 
stock  results  in  lost  sales.  Goods  not  dusted  or  kept 
clean — goods  disarranged  and  allowed  to  deteriorate,  are 
causes  for  unnecessary  reductions,  which  means  a  leak 
and  a  loss. 

Watch  Your  You  can  do  your  share  toward  making 
Stock  a  more  successful  store  by  simply  taking 

an  interest  in  your  stock.  Avoid  careless 
handling  of  the  goods,  keep  them  clean,  straight  and 
attractive.  It  will  redound  to  your  credit  in  more  ways 
than  one.  Cleanliness  and  Order  build  Character,  Com- 
mendable Habits  and — Salaries. 

You  will  be  agreeably  surprised  at  the  interesting  in- 
formation you  can  receive  and  impart  through  a  study 
of  your  merchandise.  The  basis  of  successful  salesman- 
ship is  knowledge  of  goods — the  better  the  telling,  the 
better  the  selling. 

You  can  sell  more — ^you  can  earn  more — you  can 
make  more  friends,  because  you  give  better  service 
through  more  intelligent  attention.  Knowledge  of  goods, 
prepares  you  for  promotion — "the  better  posted,  the 
better  paid." 

Some  Don't  talk  in  a  loud  voice ;   the  ordinary 

Valuable  tone  is  better  and  indicates  culture  and 
Don'ts  self-control. 

Don't  wear  jewelry  during  business  hours. 
Don't  fail  to  rise,  if  seated,  and  greet  your  customer 
pleasantly. 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  207 

Don't  fail  to  ask :  "Madam,  have  you  had  attention  ?" 
"May  I  be  of  service  to  you?"  "Are  you  receiving  at- 
tention?" or  "May  I  interest  you  in  this  splendid  show- 
ing of  toilet  articles  ?"  or  whatever  you  sell. 

Sell  Good       In  most  every  line  of  business  the  profit  is 
Goods  in  the  better  class  of  goods;  and  let  the 

writer  add,  the  ultimate  satisfaction  of  the 
customer  also  depends  upon  the  better  grade  of  the 
merchandise. 

Suppose  you  take  a  little  mental  inventory  of  yourself 
and  of  your  stock.  What  is  the  average  priced  article 
carried  in  your  department,  and  what  average  price  does 
your  daily  salesbook  show? 

Now  then,  are  you  selling  mostly  lowei  priced  goods  ? 
if  so,  aim  high  in  your  selling  ambition.  Be  a  "quality 
salesperson"  because  quality  goods  build  business. 

Marshall  Field  began  to  make  the  biggest  gains  when 
he  succeeded  in  getting  his  salesforce  to  "show  and  sell 
the  better  goods." 

The  Customer    The  customer  pays  you  your  salary,  not 
Is  Boss  the  firm.     The  public  brings  into  your 

store  all  the  money  to  pay  for  the  mer- 
chandise, the  rent,  the  incidentals.  It  takes  sales  to  make 
business  and  to  m.ake  your  position  possible  and  perma- 
nent; it  takes  customers  to  make  those  sales;  therefore, 
the  customer  is  the  real  boss — ^his  word  is  law — "The 
Customer  is  King." 

Look  upon  each  and  every  shopper  not  as  one  givin.f^ 
you  "something  to  do,"  but  as  one  who  affords  you  an 


208  Science  and  Art  oe  Selling 

opportunity  to  show  what  you  can  do !  The  customer  is 
YOUR  GUEST ! 

That  is  the  attitude  to  take — that  is  the  spirit  that 
spells  Service. 

If  you  can  make  one  new  customer  every  day  and 
hold  him,  you  will  soon  be  the  most  popular  salesperson 
in  the  stora — ^your  sales  and  your  salary  will  increase, 
and  then  youll  wonder  why  you  didn't  make  your  per- 
sonality and  other  God-given  qualities  pay  you  good  in- 
terest long  ago. 

Merit  will  win  every  time.  Your  store  duty  is  the 
bigger  sales  check.  Increase  your  worth  by  increasing 
your  work.  You  reduce  your  selling  cost  by  making 
more  sales — thus  increasing  your  earnings.  Know  and 
you  will  grow. 

'Phone  Remember  that  each  and  every  user 

Salesmanship  of  the  'phone  at  the  other  end  is  a 

customer  of  the  'phone  while  talking. 

The  same  courtesy,  patience  and  consideration  are  as 
necessary  at  the  'phone  as  in  personal  dealing. 

Do  not  forget  that  "your  voice  is  the  smile  that  wins.'' 

Practice  the  rising  inflection.  Cultivate  softness  and 
melody  in  the  tone  of  your  voice. 

Be  sure  whenever  possible  to  get  the  customer's  name 
and  number  in  the  event  of  a  disconnection — or  to  call 
the  customer  again  without  keeping  her  waiting. 

While  at  the  'phone,  remember  that  you  are  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  store  and  your  speech  reflects  the  store's 
attitude  to  the  public. 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  20fi 

''Hello"  is  a  useless,  obsolete  expression.  Reply  to 
the  call  immediately  thus,  ''Lace  Department,  The  Brown 
Co." 

When  a  salesperson  is  called  to  the  'phone,  start  right 
in  by  stating  your  name,  thus  "Mr.  (or  Miss)  (name) 
talking." 

Be  sure  to  mention  the  customer's  name  frequently  in 
'phone  conversation;  it  sounds  welcome  and  evidences 
your  attention. 

Practice  patience  and  self-restraint  in  your  conversa- 
tion.    Be  thoughtful — and  listen  closely. 

Many  words  of  different  meaning  sound  alike  to  the 
customer  at  the  'phone,  therefore  be  sure  to  articulate 
well,  speak  plainly,  distinctly,  slowly,  and  not  too  loud, 
because  it  grates  on  the  hearing  of  the  sensitive  listener. 

Avoid  Avoid  double  negatives,  such  as:    "Didn't 

Double  want  nothing,"  or,  "Ain't  going  nowhere." 

Negatives       "Haven't  got." 

"He  done  it"  (instead  of  he  did  it). 

"Say!" 

"You'se,"  "You'uns." 

"I  seen  it"  (instead  of  I  saw  it). 

-Yep"— "Yes-Um"— "Um-Un.*' 

"What  did  you  say"  (instead  of  "I  beg  pardon"). 

"Will  them  scarfs  do?" 

"Where  are  the  sweaters  at?" 

"Awful  pretty"  or  "Awful  good." 

^Tt  sure  is." 

"Take  it  from  me." 

"Ain't  that  dandy  I" 

"This  lady  wants"  (wishes). 


210  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

"Were  you  waited  on  all  right?" 
"Ruther"  (instead  of  rather.) 
"Believe  me." 

"I  ain't"  (instead  of  I  am  not.) 

A  higher  standard  of  store-expression  is  certain  to  give 
you  a  higher  standing  both  commercially  and  socially. 

Do  Not  It  isn't  wise  or  profitable  at  any  time  to  argue 
Argue  with  a  customer.  The  successful  saleslady 
uses  Tact  and  "Tact  isn't  contradictory."  It 
never  argues,  it  never  says,  "I  don't  agree  with  you,"  or, 
"You're  wrong."    It  doesn't  use  the  word,  "No."    Tact 

says,  "Yes,  but,"  or,  "Mrs. ,  you  may  be  right.,"  for 

example:  "Yes,  I  see,"  or,  "Yes,  it's  true,  but  I  under- 
stand that ,"   or,   "Don't   you  believe   if ,"   etc. 

Notice  there  is  no  direct  denial  here,  but  a  calm,  courte- 
ous suggestion.  Try  Tact  the  next  time  you  are  tempted 
to  argue! 

Develop  A  pleasing  manner  is  one  of  the  necess- 

Pleasing  ary  essentials   in  .the  makeup  of  every 

Personality  successful  salesperson.  How  often  do 
we  hear  patrons  say  to  prospective  cus- 
tomers, in  speaking  of  a  certain  store:  "See  Miss 
Blank,  or  have  Mr.  White  wait  on  you.  They  are  such 
pleasant  persons  and  will  take  a  personal  interest  in 
you." 

Such  a  reputation  is  one  of  the  best  recommendations 
any  salesman  or  saleswoman  can  have.  This  is  such  an 
important  thing  that  the  wonder  of  it  is  that  more  sales- 
people have  not  profited  by  it. 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  211 

Every  customer,  man  or  woman,  should  receive  the 
best  service  at  your  hands  in  the  selection  of  merchan- 
dise. In  addition  to  this,  you  should  impart  your  per- 
sonality with  the  sale.  So  impress  your  customers  with 
your  courtesy,  that  they  will  not  only  remember  you  and 
be  glad  to  come  back,  but  also  that  they  will  speak  of 
you  to  their  friends. 

Frowns  make  downward  lines  in  your  face  and  spoil 
your  attractiveness.  Smiles  produce  upward  lines  and 
add  to  your  charm.  Try  to  come  to  the  store  every 
morning  with  a  hopeful  smile  and  a  cheery  little  song 
in  your  heart.  Remember  you  laugh  with  the  same  face 
with  which  you  frown.  You  can  praise  with  the  same 
tongue  with  which  )^ou  tattle.  You  can  sparkle  with  the 
same  eyes  w^ith  which  you  stare.  Cheerfulness  pays  big- 
ger dividends  than  gloom!  Let  other  people  do  the 
grumbling. 

Be  Did  you  ever  go  into  a  store  and  look  around 

Alert  for   some   one   to   direct   you   to   a   stand   or 

counter,  but  no  one  approached  with  a  nod  of 
recognition?  Of  course  you  have,  and  perhaps  you 
formed  your  opinion  of  that  store.  Now  then :  let  your 
establishment  be  different  and  better  in  this  respect. 

When  you  see  a  customer  v.  aiting  and  you  are  busy, 
just  speak  a  pleasant  word  or  nod.  It  doesn't  take 
more  than  a  few  seconds.  Wouldn't  you  feel  better 
und^r  the  circumstances?  Surely  you  would  and  so 
would  your  customer.  Just  say:  "I'll  be  glad  to  give 
you  attention  directly,"  or,  "I  beg  pardon,  just  a  moment 
please."  And  if  you  leave  your  present  customer,  al- 
ways excuse  yourself. 


812  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Causes  of  Do  not  get  the  habit  of  saying :  "We  are 
Failure  out  of  that/'  or,  "We  haven't  got.it."     If 

you  are  really  out  oifer  something  else. 
SHOW  YOUR  GOODS. 

Miss  Saleslady,  in  future,  when  a  customer  leaves 
vv^ithout  buying,  instead  of  telling  us  why  she  didn't  buy, 
ask  yourself:  "Why  didn't  I  sell?"  Try  this  next  time. 
You  may  learn  something  of  much  interest  to  yourself. 

"I  don't  know."  This  is  a  very  costly  remark  to  make 
to  a  customer.  First,  it  advertises  your  ignorance  of 
your  stock.  Second,  it  does  an  injustice  to  the  organiza- 
tion. Third,  every  question  you  cannot  ansvv-er  is  a  chal- 
lenge to  your  abilit}^ 

A  customer  who  could  not  receive  an  Intelligent  reply 
from  a  clerk,  walked  out  of  the  store  exclaiming:  "If 
you  are  trying  to  sell  goods  by  what  you  don't  know,  I'd 
advise  you  to  quit." 

Another  common  error  made  by  salespeople  when  a 
customer  inquires  for  an  article  of  merchandise  is  to  ask 
"about  what  price?"  Don't  do  that.  A  customer  isn't 
there  to  answer  questions.  Start  with  your  medium 
priced  goods  and  SHOW  THEM.  He  or  she  will  then 
quickly  enough  tell  you  what  is  wanted.  Show  your 
stock.  State  the  price,  and  tell  some  of  the  good  quali- 
ties of  your  offerings. 

Be  When  waiting  on  a  stout  woman,  don't  ^efer 

Tactful      to  her  size.     Every  such  woman  is  sensitive 
on   that   subject.      She   knows   she   is   "fat." 
The  thoughtless  saleslady  will  say:     "Here  is  just  the 
thing  for  stout  women,"  or,  "This  won't  make  you  ap- 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  213 

pear  stout."  Now  this  is  negative  selling.  Better  adapt 
the  suggestive  method  of  the  diplomat  who  says :    "Now, 

Miss ,  this   (article)   gives  a  lady  (don't  say,  'gives 

you')  a  slim^  effect."  Or,  "Medium  built  women  prefer 
this  style  which  is  recommended,  etc."  Observe  the 
constructive  difference  in  these  two  selling  methods. 
Try  them  yourself  next  time. 

Don't  say:  "Here  is  something  cheaper."  Cheaper 
refers  to  inferior  quality.  It  is  better  to  say  "lower 
priced"  instead  of  cheaper.  Don't  be  a  "cheap"  sales- 
person.    Cultivate  quality. 

Don't  ask:  "How  long  do  you  wear  your  skirt?" 
Ask:    "What  length  skirt  do  you  wear?" 

Don't  say:  "We  haven't  any,"  better  say:  "I'm 
sorry,  but  we  are  out  of  that  just  now."  Then  imme- 
diately sttggest  the  next  nearest  article  and  show  it ! 

Don't  ask:  "Are  you  waited  on,"  or  "What  do  you 
wish."  Remember  the  suggestion:  "I  beg  pardon,  are 
you  having  attention,"  or  "What  can  I  show  you  to-day  ?" 

"This  won't  fade."  Use  the  constructive  expression: 
"This  is  a  fast  color." 

Be  Don't   say  anything  of   a   "negative"  nature 

Positive     when  it  is  just  as  easy  to  use  a  "positive" 
suggestion.     Smile  and  the  store  smiles  with 
you,  frown  and  you  may  find  yourself  lonesome.     For- 
get the  grouch,  else  the  grouch  will  "get"  you. 

A  "looker"  to-day  may  be  a  buyer  to-morrow.  There 
are  no  "shoppers"  in  your  store,  they  are  guests.  Play 
the  Host  and  Hostess.  Play  the  game  right,  and  you'll 
win ! 


214:  SCTENCK  AND  ArT  OF  SELLING 

If  you  would  sell  every  customer  you  wait  upon  a 
dollar  more  than  he  intended  to  purchase,  you'd  soon  be 
earning-  more  than  your  present  salary,  and  if  you  handle 
the  man  right,  he'll  come  back  and  ask  for  you. 

Learn  to  When  you  sell  a  necktie  to  a  man  make  it 
Co-operate  a  point  to  boost  the  Hat  Department.  Get 
him  over  there  to  try  on  some  new  things. 
He'll  either  buy  or  come  back  later  to  ma!:e  purchases, 
because  he  will  not  be  able  to  resist  styles  or  prices. 
And  when  you  sell  a  hat  to  a  man,  work  some  scheme 
to  get  him  over  among  the  hosiery  or  neckwear.  If  he's 
a  young  chap  ask  one  of  the  clothing  men  to  have  him 
try  on  a  few  of  the  new  models  in  college  clothing. 
Hundreds  of  men  drop  in  to  buy  a  hat,  who  afterwards 
see  a  tie  or  shirt  in  a  window  farther  up  the  street  and 
go  in  and  buy  it.  It's  your  fault  if  you  did  not  make 
that  sale. 

Successful  Salesmanship  is  no  more  an  accident  than 
the  ball  player's  batting  average  is  a  streak  of  luck.  It 
is  putting  the  right  hits  in  the  right  place.  It  requires 
headwork.  To-day  business  is  a  race.  It  is  a  struggle 
for  supremacy  from  start  to  finish.  The  field  is  crowded 
with  trained  competitors,  ea^-er  and  a^ert  to  outdo  each 
other  at  every  turn.  Every  season  v/e  keep  crowding 
more  value  into  every  place  of  merchandise  so  that  we 
can  hitch  a  bigger  load  to  the  customer's  dollar  than  he 
can  possibly  get  elsewhere. 

Be  One  of  the  best  tests  of  your  loyalty,  your 

Courteous      [)atience  and  your  best  nature,  is  the  way 

in   which   you   handle  the   three  types   of 

customers  known  as    (a)    "the  last  minute  customer," 


Suggestion  to  Sai^kspeople  215 

(b)  "the  rainy-day  customer,"  and  (c)  "the  so-called 
cranky  customer."  These  people  appreciate  courtesy 
and  attention  the  most,  because  they  get  so  little  of  it. 
They  are  not  a  disturbance.  These  three  types  represent 
your  opportunities.  They  are  buyers.  Cultivate  their 
good  will  and  you  will  become  a  master  salesperson. 

You  Should        Here   are   ten   reasons   why  you   should 

Worry  worry: 

*T  should  worry  if  I  am  late  to  work;" 
*T  should  worry  if  I  have  a  grouch;" 
"I  should  worry  if  *I  forgot,'  or  T  didn't  think ;'  " 
"I  should  worry  if  I  am  discourteous ;" 
*T  should  worry  if  T  don't  know ;'  " 
'T  should  worry  if  I  have  no  mind  of  my  own ;" 
"I  should  worry  if  I'm  not  posted  on  the  goods ;" 
"I  should  worry  if  I  have  a  bad  temper ;" 
"I  should  worry  if  I  am  not  sincere  in  my  work;" 
"I  should  worry  if  I  am  not  true  to  myself." 

Avoid  Trivial  mistakes  are  irritating.     They  are 

Mistakes        often  passed  over  lightly. 

Who  does  not  make  mistakes?  Let  us 
all  try  to  profit  by  them  for  each  one  is  a  part  of  the 
store  system. 

Mistakes  cause  trouble.  Wrong  addresses,  wrong 
initials,  wrong  sizes  or  wrong  colors.  These  are  the  mis- 
takes that  lose  customers. 

Many  money  mistakes  and  "change"  complaints  can 
be  avoided  if  you  make  a  practice  of  calling  off  to  the 
customer  the  amount  of  money  he  or  she  hands  to  you 
for  the  purchase.     For  instance :     If  a  five  dollar  bill  is 


21G  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

given  in  payment,  as  you  start  to  make  out  your  sales- 
slip,  say  "A  five  dollar  bill."  Then  if  the  customer  is 
under  the  impression  that  it's  a  ten  dollar  bill,  just  see 
how  much  easier  and  pleasanter  it  is  to  correct  her  then 
and  there,  before  the  money  leaves  your  hands  than  it  is 
to  have  an  unpleasant  controversy  later.  Each  and  every 
time  call  out  the  amotmt  of  money  received. 

Avoid  Be  careful  about  not  wasting  the  many  sup- 
Waste       plies  that  cost  money. 

Do  not  forget  how  two  inches  of  over- 
measurement  creates  a  loss  of  $15  a  month  by  each  150 
salespeople,  or  that  $2,250  a  month  equals  $27,000  a  year ! 
That  just  five  minutes  late  twice  a  week  means  500 
minutes  per  employee.  Every  100  late  employees  means 
a  loss  of  104  working  days  a  year. 


TYPES  OF  RETAIL  STORE  CUSTOMERS 

By  Mrs.  Reid,  Educational  Director,  Marshall  Field 

AND   Co._,   Chicago 

Used  Through  Courtesy  of  Dry  Goods  Ecomomist 

Customers      For  your  benefit,  I  have  divided  customers 
in  Three  into    three   classes.      There   are   types    in- 

Classes  numerable.    Each  customer  must  be  talked 

to  in  a  separate  way,  but  these  three  classes 
may  help  you  in  analyzing  your  sales,  which  we  hope 
you  will  do. 

The  first  type  of  customer  will  make  you  feel  as 
though  you  are  a  wonderful  salesman.  You  will  say: 
"Why,  I  don't  need  salesmanship  lessons.  I  sold  her 
an   enormous   lot  of  things — $110  worth.     This  is  all 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  217 

nonsense  about  having  to  study  salesmanship.     There  is 
nothing  to  it." 

That  customer  is  a  woman  with  decision  of  character. 
She  has  a  charge  account  in  the  house.  She  has  traded 
with  Marshall  Field  &  Company  for  years.  Her  grand- 
mother traded  here  and  she  has  grown  up  to  think  there 
is  only  one  store  in  the  world  and  that  is  Marshall  Field 
&  Company.  She  manages  her  home,  her  budget  and 
her  husband.  He  may  not  know  it,  but  she  does.  She 
manages  her  children  and  kno^^^s  what  she  can  afford 
to  spend  for  them.  You  see  her  coming  to  your  counter 
and  all  you  have  to  do  is  smile  and  say :  "Good  morn- 
ing." She  starts  right  in  by  saying:  "I've  come  down 
to  do  my  shopping  to-day.  I  would  like  a  half  dozen  of 
those,  and  I  und-erstand  by  your  advertisement  that  you 
are  selling  these." 

Reading  You  must  read  the  advertisements  of  this 

the  Ads  wonderful  store.     How  can  you  expect  to 

know  what  is  going  on  tmless  you  keep  in 
touch  with  our  ads?  Have  you  read  them  lately  and 
noticed  how  we  develop  the  individual  as  well  as  the 
merchandise  ? 

You  hand  out  some  more  merchandise  and  the  woman 
says :  *T'd  like  to  be  shown  such  and  such  a  thing,"  and 
you  very  kindly  take  her  to  some  other  counter.  When 
she  has  gone  you  say:  "Easy.  I  can  sell.  I'm  a  full 
fledged  salesman.  No  trouble  at  all,  look  what  I've 
done."  But  she's  one  in  a  thousand.  Just  one  of  a 
great  mass  to  make  us  realize  that  there  are  women 
who  have  decision  of  character. 


218  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

She  Thinks  Then  there  is  a  second  class  of  customer 
She  Knows  who  will  take  a  little  more  out  of  you. 
She  is  the  woman  who  thinks  she  knows, 
but  does  not.  Sometimes  she  brings  a  friend  with  her, 
and  you  have  to  sell  to  both  the  customer  and  the  friend 
and  satisfy  both.  Then,  when  you  get  one  satisfied,  the 
other  decides  it  isn't  what  she  wants.  She  is  the  w^oman 
who  has  some  decision  but  not  enough.  Supposing  she 
comes  along  and  wants  to  buy  a  blouse.  She  has  you 
show  her  first  one  and  then  you  take  another  very 
graciously  and  another '  and  another.  There  are  four. 
They  are  beautiful.  You  have  picked  them  out  with 
care.  She'd  like  them  all.  "May  I  have  them  all  sent 
out;  I'd  like  to  show  them  to  my  husband.  Will  you 
send  them  all  out  and  then  I  will  select  what  I  want  ?" 

We  used  to  say:  "Surely,  take  the  whole  section  if 
you  want  It,"  but  we  are  a  little  more  particular  now. 
We  will  let  her  take  perhaps  two,  or  three,  but  if  you 
can  only  keep  her  right  there  until  she  decides,  how 
much  better  salesmanship  it  Is  than  to  deliver  the  gar- 
ments, let  her  muss  them  all  up  and  then  dump  them 
back  again,  without  making  a  purchase. 

Love  Your  But  you  weren't  interested.  You 
Merchandise  thought  she  wanted  to  take  them  home 
and  so  you  didn't  care.  That  woman 
needed  help.  Wljy  didn't  you  tell  her  that  the  cream 
colored  blouse  you  showed  her  first  would  give  her  the 
best  wear  ?  Why  didn't  you  suggest  something  practical 
to  her?  When  she  noticed  the  blue  blouse,  why  didn't 
you  hold  it  up  to  her  and  look  at  it  as  if  you  loved  that 
garment;  as  if  you  couldn't  get  along  another  twenty- 


8ur.GF:sTTONS  TO  Salespeofle  219 

four  hours  without  something  like  it  yourself?  You 
have  to  love  your  merchandise  before  you  can  sell  it. 
Why  didn*t  you  hold  it  up  to  her  and  say:  "Madam, 
the  hand  work  on  this  collar  is  most  effective  and  it 
matches  exactly  the  hat  you  are  wearing-.  With  your 
blue  eyes  that  would  be*  charming.  The  blue  waist 
would  be  beautiful  on  you." 

Do  you  believe  it  would  ?  Then  say  so.  If  you  know 
it  is  all  a  lie,  refrain  from  saying  it,  even  if  you  keep 
your  merchandise.  Marshall  Field  &  Company  stands 
for  truth  in  statement,  integrity  in  purpose,  honesty  from 
the  ground  up,  in  dealings,  but  if  you  see  that  her  eyes 
are  blue  and  something  stands  out  that  has  to  be  clothed 
and  emphasized,  how  are  you  going  to  be  able  to  sell  her 
the  right  merchandise?  Unless  you  sell  her  the  right 
thing  at  the  right  time,  she  Is  going  to  remember  Mar- 
shall Field  &  Company  as  a  total  failure  as  a  store.  Why 
didn't  you  sell  her  the  blouse  ?  She  needs  help.  She  al- 
ways needs  help,  and  sometimes  you  don't  offer  it  and 
she  goes  away.  You  have  lost  your  sale,  lost  your  cus- 
tomer, and  you  have  done  something  worse — she  won't 
come  to  you  again.  She  will  buy  her  blouses  down  the 
street  where  somebody  Is  Interested  in  her,  where  she 
knows  Miss  Brown  with  the  brilliant  smile  and  the 
pretty  eyes. 

Miss  Brown  will  say:  "I  put  away  three  blouses  for 
you  the  other  day.  I  thought  of  you  when  they  came  in 
stock."  She  bought  all  three.  Why?  They  weren't  half 
as  good  as  the  ones  you  showed  her,  but  the  human  in- 
terest was  there  and  you  withheld  it  from  her,  so  you 
lost  her. 


220  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Selling  the  Next  comes  the  third  class  of  customer. 

*'Shopper'*  Her  name  is  Legion.    She  fills  our  aisles. 

We  think  we  are  having  the  busiest  day 
in  the  world  and  we  find  out  she  isn't  buying.  She's 
looking.  She's  the  shopper,  the  looker,  the  bargain 
hunter.  She  comes  into  your  store.  Lock  her  over. 
Why  doesn't  she  buy  of  you?  She's  wxll  dressed,  her 
home  is  well  furnished,  why  doesn't  she  buy  of  Marshall 
Field  &  Company? 

I  will  tell  you  why.  She  has  been  exploited  for  years. 
All  down  the  line  she  has  been  exploited.  When  she 
first  started  out  to  buy  and  furnish  her  own  home  she 
went  into  a  place  where  they  did  not  care  a  picayune 
what  they  sold  her.  They  told  her  that  shiny  golden  oak 
chair  was  one  of  the  latest  things. 

"Buy  a  suite  of  those,"  they  said,  and  she  did.  She 
was  hated  and  .  ostracised  by  many  of  her  high-toned 
friends  on  account  of  it. 

She  went  elsewhere  to  buy  some  hangings. 

"I  am  furnishing  a  little  home,"  she  said  to  the  sales- 
man, "and  I  would  like  something  the  sun  won't  fade." 

The  salesman  who  didn't  know  or  care  said  to  her: 
"Why,  yes,  this  is  very  good.  One  of  the  latest  things, 
only  75  cents  a  yard.  Stores  down  the  street  are  selling 
the  same  thing  at  $1.50." 

She  bought  them.  They  all  faded  out.  They  were 
rags  in  about  six  weeks.  She  has  been  exploited.  She 
has  been  into  your  stores  and  has  met  a  saleswoman  who 
was  not  the  right  kind,  and  w^ho  did  not  appreciate  her. 
She  was  addressed  something  like  this : 

"Waited  on?" 

"Yes,  we  have  it." 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople        231 

"Dollar  and  a  half." 

"A  little  higher  priced.  (Holding  up  another.)  Two 
dollars."  (Fixing  her  hair  and  shining  her  nails.) 

"Three  seventy-five."  (Holding  up  still  another.) 

"No,  we're  out  of  that.  Haven't  one  left  in  the  house. 
Sorry." 

She  has  been  waited  on  like  that.  She  has  been  sold 
to  like  that.  Have  you  ever  been  treated  in  that  way? 
Didn't  you  grit  your  teeth  as  you  wxnt  out  and  exclaim : 
*Tf  that  store  stands  for  salesmanship,  I  know  where  I 
can  go  and  get  something  better  than  that  at  the  same 
price." 

Buying  a  Tie      Then  she  went  into  another  store  and 
for  "Dad"  met  a  man  salesperson.     She  wanted  to 

buy  her  husband  a  tie.  Women  ought 
never  to  buy  men's  ties,  but  they  wall  do  it.  She  walked 
up  to  the  counter  in  the  most  hopeful  and  optimistic 
frame  of  mind.  It  was  near  Christmas,  and  she  had 
saved  the  money  with  which  to  buy  John's  tie.  One  of 
those  salesmen  who  make  you  cease  to  believe  in  human 
nature  at  all,  looked  at  her  and  asked:  "Anything  in 
ties?"  "I  would  like  a  tie  for  my  husband,  John.  He 
is  a  middle-aged  man.  I  don't  suppose  you  know  him, 
but  he's  a  very  fine  looking  man.  You  may  see  him 
come  in  here  any  time.  He  generally  wears  a  dark  grey 
Oxford  suit  and  fine  linen,  and  he's  awfully  particular 
about  his  cuff  links  and  all  that.  I  bought  him  a  beauti- 
ful scarf  for  his  birthday  and  I  thought  if  you  had  just 
the  right  kind  of  a  tie  I  would  buy  it  for  Christmas." 

The  salesman  hasn't  been  looking  at  her  at  all.  She 
finds  he  isn't  paying  the  slightest  attention  to  her,  but 
she  had  asked  for  a  tie  and  he  understood  that,  although 


222  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

he  failed  to  hear  her  gentle  confidence,  which  would  have 
meant  so  much  to  him  to  build  up  that  character  of  sales- 
manship. He  lost  it  all.  He  takes  a  tie  down  and  says : 
"There  is  a  good  tie;  $2.50." 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  replied,  "but  I  don't  believe  I  could 
see  John  v/earing  that.  Those  bright  reds  he  never 
wears." 

"Oh !  A  tie  for  an  old  man  ?  Black  and  white  stripes 
are  always  good  for  an  elderly  man.  (Holding  out  a 
black  and  white  striped  tie)  $2.00.    There's  a  good  tie." 

She  takes  it  and  looks  at  it.  John's  had  black  and 
white  ties  ever  since  she  could  remember.  She  believes 
he  was  born  in  them. 

"No,  that  won't  do  either." 

He's  beginning  to  be  a  little  bored  with  Mrs.  Smith's 
efiForts  to  buy  a  tie  for  John,  so  he  takes  out  one  and 
ties  it  in  a  nonchalant  way. 

"There's  a  good  tic.  A  little  higher  in  price — $2.50. 
How  do  you  like  that?" 

"That's  pretty  good.     Do  you  think  he'd  like  that?" 
"Yes,  yes,  that's  a  very  good  lie.     We  sell  hundreds 
of  these." 

"Oh !  I  don't  want  something  that  everybody  wears. 
I  want  something  distinctive  for  John." 

"Well,  look  along  the  case.  What  do  }ou  sec  along 
there  that  you  like?  Plenty  of  ties.  H  you  see  anything 
you  want,  help  yourself." 

After  a  while  she  sees  a  purple  and  yellowish  tie. 
*'Could  you  get  that  tie  down  there   for  me?"     "Yes," 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  223 

and  he  goes  down  and  peers  into  the  case.     "Is  this  the 
one?    This  the  one  you  have  reference  to?" 

"Yes,  right  there." 

"Three  dollars!  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that  tie? 
Ain't  as  good  as  some  of  them  ties  I  showed  you,  but 
it's  a  pretty  good  tie.  It's  all  right.  It's  all  right.  All 
our  ties  are  good." 

"Will  that  wear  well?" 

"All  wear  well.    No  trouble  with  our  ties.    Good  ties." 

"Very  well,  I'll  take  it  please.  I'll  pay  for  it.  Prob- 
ably John  won't  wear  it  when  I  get  home,  hut  I'll  take 
it." 

That's  the  way  the  looker  is  made,  and  that's  the  thing 
I  want  to  talk  to  you  about — taking  care  of  the  looker. 
How  can  she  be  cared  for?  First  b}^  taking  a  genuine 
interest  in  this  work  you  are  about  to  do.  Aren't  you 
going  to  love  your  task  when  }ou  get  here?  If  not, 
don't  stay  with  us,  for  you  are  in  the  wrong  place.  We 
need  to  have  people  who  feel  that  salesmanship  is  their 
vocation.  Will  enthusiasm  come  to  you  when  you  begin 
studying  our  merchandise?  Can  you  make  the  looker 
into  a  buyer,  and  do  you  know  how  to  do  it  ? 

I  will  tell  you  three  things  that  will  help  you.  The 
cultivation  first  of  a  business  personality  that  convinces, 
charms  and  pleases.  Will  you  cultivate  that  sort  of  a 
personality?  Do  you  know  what  that  involves?  It  in- 
volves patience,  kindliness  in  your  make-up,  interest  in 
all  humanity.  Whether  she  wears  a  shawl  or  comes  to 
you  in  a  limousine,  whether  she  has  $1.00  to  spend  or 
$100,  our  president,  Mr.  Shedd,  would  say:  "See  that 
she  gets  one  hundred  cents  for  every  dollar  she  spends." 


224  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Are  you  interested  in  people?  Are  you  a  real,  true 
friend  of  humanity  ?  Then  you  will  begin  by  developing 
a  business  personality  that  has  a  smile  and  knows  enough 
about  the  merchandise  to  make  people  have  confidence 
in  you. 

Keep  away  from  conceit,  shoddiness,  untruths  and  dis- 
loyalty. Create  for  yourself  a  position,  so  that  when 
people  see  you  they  feel  better  for  having  talked  with 
you.  When  they  know  you  they  will  say:  "There's  a 
man  to  be  proud  of.  You  shake  his  hand  and  feel  you 
have  been  in  the  right  atmosphere."  If  you  are  creating 
that  kind  of  a  character  you  are  going  to  be  a  success. 

The  one  who  wins  in  the  salesmanship  field,  who  be- 
comes a  superlatively  fine  salesman,  is  the  one  who  cares, 
who  is  interested,  and  who  has  a  vision. 

Out  of  the  The  second  thing  is  initiative.  Initiative 
Common  makes  of  you  a  self-starter,  a  live  wire. 
Class  It  keeps  you  out  of  the  common  class  and 

puts  you  on  a  pinnacle.  Study  all  the  time 
to  improve.  Have  a  long  look  ahead  that  makes  you 
see  yourself  in  a  place  of  prominence  some  day,  and 
work  towards  it. 

The  third  thing  is  imagination.  And  why  have  imag- 
ination? You  say  many  people  have  too  much  imagina- 
tion. They  can't  tell  the  truth.  I  mean  the  kind  of  im- 
agination that  Helps  you  put  yourself  in  the  customer's 
place;  that  helps  you  to  see  her  problem  at  a  glance; 
that  makes  you  know  what  she  is  thinking  of,  and  helps 
you  to  substitute  something  that  she  has  asked  for  with 
something  that  is  right,  beautiful,  useful  and  adaptable 


Suggestions  to  Salespeople  225 

to  her  needs.     That  is  the  third  thing  you  have  to  do  to 
be  a  superlatively  fine  salesman. 

The  Inane  The  wrong  way — "Waited  on?"    "Some- 

Phrases  thing   for  you?"      "Anything?"     "Wish 

attention?"  All  such  inane  phrases 
should  be  taken  out  of  your  vocabulary  and  never  used 
again. 

We  believe  the  approach  is  almost  the  whole  sale,  if 
it  is  made  correctly.  You  are  introducing  yourself. 
You  are  showing  that  you  have  self  confidence ;  that  you 
know  your  merchandise ;  that  you  are  a  representative  of 
the  best  house  in  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


Model  Selling  Talks 

Selling  a  Lady's  Suit 

Salesmanship  This  is  a  verbatim  report  of  a  demon- 
stration sale  put  on  by  two  employes  of 
Marshall  Field  &  Company.  No  part  of  it  was  rehearsed 
because  that  would  have  spoiled  the  entire  effect.  It 
was  spontaneous  and  we  want  you  to  criticize  it  care- 
fully. 

Customer  The  "casual"  customer  enters  the  depart- 

Enters  Store       ment   and   is   approached   by   the   sales- 
woman, who  is  compelled  to  use  every 
argument  necessary  in  making  a  sale. 

Valuable         This  sale  was  handled  in  a  most  dignified 
Ideas  and    diplomatic    manner.        The    points 

brought  out  here  will  be  of  value  to  every 
person  engaged  in  selling  merchandise. 

SALESLADY:  "Good  afternoon.  May  I  show  you 
our  new  fall  suits?  There  are  two  or  three  new  styles 
that  I  think  are  exceptionally  attractive." 

CUSTOMER:  "Well,  I  don't  believe  so.  I've  been 
looking  around  imtil  I'm  completely  disgusted.  I  started 
out  to  get  a  tailor-made  suit  because  I'm  convinced  that 
ready-made  suits  are  not  satisfactory." 

SALESLADY:  "Won't  you  be  seated?  We  have 
some  lovely  suits.     You  wish  something  tailored?" 

226 


Model  Selling  Talks  227 

CUSTOMER:  'T'm  looking  for  something  that  is  es- 
pecially attractive  for  traveling." 

SALESLADY:  "Here's  an  excellent  tailored  suit  in 
silvertone — splendid  for  traveling  purposes." 

CUSTOMER :  "I  don't  care  for  the  long  lines  at  all. 
No,  I'm  afraid  I  couldn't  wear  that." 

SALESLADY :  "I  think  they  would  be  very  becom- 
ing to  you.  Try  this  one  on.  You  see,  you  don't  do  jus- 
tice to  this  suit  by  not  trying  it  on." 

CUSTOMER :  'T'm  thoroughly  convinced  I  can't  find 
an3^thing  in  ready-made  suits  because  I've  been  all  over 
town  this  afternoon." 

SALESLADY :  "It  is  difficult  to  tell  how  a  suit  will 
look  until  you  try  it  on.  There,  I  want  you  to  look  at 
that  suit.    Don't  you  think  that's  neat  looking?" 

CUSTOMER :  "Oh,  the  coat  is  entirely  too  long.  I 
don't  believe  I'd  like  that  at  all." 

SALESLADY :  "You  don't  want  anything  that  looks 
old.  This  is  one  of  our  newest  cuts  for  fall.  Really  I 
think  that's  very  becoming  to  you." 

CUSTOMER:  "Well,  it  makes  me  look  so  terribly 
tall  and  that  is  one  thing  I  must  avoid." 

SALESLADY :  "I  will  put  this  aside  for  the  time  be- 
ing and  show  you  another." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  am  interested  especially  in  navy 
blue.     I  don't  care  for  the  brown." 


228  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


SALESLADY:     ''But  brown  is  the  newest  thing  out," 

CUSTOMER :  "I  always  feel  safer  in  navy  blue.  It 
has  to  last  for  practical  wear." 

SALESLADY:  "Try  this  on.  I  want  to  see  if  this 
style  is  more  becoming  to  you." 

CUSTOMER:    "Is  that  a  splash?" 

SALESLADY :  "This  is  a  blue,  a  mixture.  I  don't 
think  that  is  nearly  so  becoming  as  the  brown.  It  is  a 
little  old  on  you." 

CUSTOMER:     "I  don't  care  for  this." 

SALESLADY :  "No,  I  don't  like  it  on  you.  I  will 
show  you  other  styles." 

CUSTOMER:  "Are  all  the  coats  going  to  be  so 
long?" 

SALESLADY:  "No,  they  vary.  I  would  not  pay 
any  attention  to  that  though.  You  want  the  becoming 
style.  Here's  another  smart  suit  for  traveling  purposes. 
It's  a  little  shorter  than  the  first  one  I  showed  you,  but 
I  still  like  the  first  coat  you  put  on  much  better." 

CUSTOMER:  "I'm  afraid  I  would  tire  of  checks. 
I  am  not  fond  of  check  suits  at  all." 

SALESLADY:  "There  is  too  much  fullness  and  it 
chops  you  up  so.     You  want  the  more  becoming  thing." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  saw  this  same  thing  down  the 
street  when  I  was  looking.  I  wouldn't  care  to  get  any- 
thing you  see  around  so  much." 


Model  Selling  Talks  229 

SALESLADY:  "rm  sure  you  did  not  see  the  same 
suit,  madam,  because  this  is  made  exclusively  for  Mar- 
shall Field  &  Co." 

CUSTOMER:  "It  had  the  little  flare  and  I  am  sure 
there  could  have  been  no  mistake." 

SALESLADY:  "The  manufacturer  wouldn't  think 
of  selling  anything  else  in  Chicago  like  this." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  wonder  if  it  could  have  been  a 
copy  ?" 

SALESLADY:  *'It  might  have  been  a  copy.  Here's 
another  model." 

CUSTOMER :    "I  don't  want  the  long  lines." 

SALESLADY :  "I  know,  but  you  don't  want  to  look 
like  you're  wearing  your  last  year's  suit.  I  don't  like 
this  length  on  you  nearly  as  well  as  the  first  model, 
though.     I  think  it  makes  you  look  too  tall." 

CUSTOMER:  "Oh,  yes,  I  don't  believe  I'd  like  it 
very  long." 

SALESLADY :  "I'm  going  to  try  the  first  one  on  you 
a^ain." 

CUSTOMER:  "You  haven't  a  navy  blue,  have  you, 
in  the  first  suit?" 

SALESLADY :  "I  don't  think  you  want  a  navy  blue. 
You  have  worn  blue  a  great  deal,  haven't  you?" 

CUSTOMER:  "Oh,  yes,  navy  blue  is  the  only  thing 
I've  had  for  some  time.  That's  the  reason  I'm  afraid  to 
shift  to  some  other  color.     I'm  afraid  I  won't  like  it." 


230  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

SALESLADY :  "Oh,  but  you  want  a  change.  (Tries 
on  the  first  suit  again,)     Look  how  the  shoulders  fit  you." 

CUSTOMER :  "Yes,  it's  a  nice  suit,  but  after  all,  the 
ready-made  things  never  keep  their  shape  as  well." 

SALESLADY:  "I  want  you  to  notice  the  lining. 
Could  any  tailor  do  work  better  than  this?" 

CUSTOMER :  "My  experience  has  been  that  ready- 
made  suits  will  require  considerable  pressing  and  you 
have  to  care  for  them  a  great  deal  and  be  particular  how 
they  are  worn." 

SALESLADY:  "You  have  the  finest  workmanship 
and  material  there.  It  requires  no  more  pressing  than  if 
you  had  a  suit  made  by  a  tailor." 

CUSTOMER :     "It's  a  Peau-de-cyne  lining,  isn't  it  ?" 

SALESLADY :  "Yes,  Peau-de-cyne  lining." 

CUSTOMER:  "It  doesn't  wear  well,  though,  does 
it?" 

SALESLADY :  "Yes,  indeed.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
wearing  materials  of  this  kind  made.  I  want  you  to 
study  the  lines  of  the  suit.  No  fault  can  be  found  with 
it  on  you.     The  lines  suit  you  exactly." 

CUSTOMER :  "Well,  what  about  this  material  for 
traveling  ?" 

SALESLADY:  "It's  splendid.  It  doesn't  show  soil 
or  dust.  It's  just  the  thing  you  want  for  traveling. 
Surely  you  couldn't  find  a  better  color  or  better  material 
for  that  purpose." 


Model  Selling  Talk?  231 

CUSTOMER :     "How  is  the  skirt  made  ?"   . 

SALESLADY :  'The  skirt  is  very  simple,  plain  lines, 
and  will  be  very  becoming  to  you." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  don't  believe  I  am  interested  in 
this  suit." 

SALESLADY:  "Try  on  the  skirt.  You  can  never 
judge  a  suit  by  just  trying  on  the  coat.  I  wonder  if  I 
can  put  it  over  your  head.  I'll  be  very  careful.  There. 
You  see  how  much  better  it  will  look  with  the  skirt  dn." 

CUSTOMER :    "How  long  are  the  skirts  made  now  ?" 

SALESLADY :  "They  vary  a  little.  Some  are  a  little 
shorter  but  I  think  this  is  the  most  becoming  length." 

CUSTOMER :  'The  skirts  are  all  very  plain,  aren't 
they?" 

SALESLADY:  "Yes,  but  of  course  you  want  it  just 
as  plain  and  simple  as  possible  for  traveling." 

CUSTOMER:  "It  seems  to  me  the  skirt  looks  quite 
full  at  the  bottom.     Do  you  like  that  ?" 

SALESLADY :  "No,  I  don't  like  that.  We'll  fix  that 
in  the  alteration.  It  is  only  a  simple  alteration  and  can 
be  done  very  nicely.  I  think  this  is  the  suit  you  should 
have  for  your  purpose.  I  think  with  a  slight  alteration, 
it  will  look  splendid  on  you." 

CUSTOMER:    "What  is  the  price?" 

SALESLADY:    "$87.50." 


232  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

CUSTOMER:  "Oh,  mercy!  That's  a  good  deal 
more  than  I  expected  to  pay  for  a  ready-made  suit.  I 
think  $75.00  would  be  enough  for  a  suit  of  this  kind." 

SALESLADY :  "You  wouldn't  let  $12.50  stand  in  the 
way,  would  you?  If  you  went  to  a  tailor,  you  would 
have  to  stand  and  waste  your  time  and  energy  and  spend 
$125  or  $150  and  then  maybe  you  wouldn't  be  satisfied." 

CUSTOMER :  "Well,  supposing  I  have  this  sent  up. 
I'd  like  to  see  if  my  husband  would  like  it  on  me.  I 
doft't  feel  quite  safe  about  taking  it  without  showing  it 
to  him  first." 

SALESLADY:  "Why  should  you  have  it  sent  to 
you  ?  You  like  it,  don't  you  ?  This  is  smart  on  you  and 
you  want  the  new  thing.  You  want  something  differ- 
ent?" 

CUSTOMER:  "Would  it  be  perfectly  satisfactory  to 
send  it  back  in  case  I  had  it  sent  out  and  it  wasn't  sat- 
isfactory?" 

SALESLADY:  "You've  been  looking  all  over  and 
you  want  a  suit,  why  don't  you  have  it  altered  and  have 
it  ready  and  after  making  the  alteration  it  will  be  more 
becoming  to  you  and  more  pleasing  to  your  husband 
when  he  sees  the  suit  on  you." 

CUSTOMER:  "There's  another  question— the  time 
in  having  alterations  made.    I  hate  to  wait." 

SALESLADY:     "How  long  have  you?" 

CL"'"STOMER:  "I  must  be  sure  and  be  out  of  town 
in  a  couple  of  weeks." 


^loDEL  Selling  Talks  233 


SALESLADY:  "You  can  have  it  to-morrow.  Yoti 
see  it  is  a  perfect  fit  and  only  requires  a  very  slight  al- 
teration in  the  skirt." 

CUSTOMER:     "I  always  thought  it  took  so  long." 

SALESLADY:  'Tt  only  requires  one  fitting.  Why 
don't  you  let  us  do  it  for  you?" 

CUSTOMER :  "Well,  I  really  do  think  this  would  be 
practical  as  far  as  I  am  concerned." 

SALESLADY:  'T  want  you  to  look  at  it  closely. 
Look  at  the  lovely  lines." 

CUSTOMER:  "Well,  it  seems  to  fit  me  as  w^ll  as 
any  tailor-made  suit  I  ever  had." 

SALESLADY:  "So  many  times  you  are  disap- 
pointed in  what  they  make  for  you." 

CUSTOMER :  "Yes,  I  have  had  some  very  bitter  ex- 
periences with  the  tailor." 

SALESLADY:  "Merely  alter  that  skirt  and  that's 
all  that  will  have  to  be  done." 

CUSTOMER:  "Well,  I  believe  I  will  take  this  one, 
then." 

SALESLADY:  "You'll  want  us  to  make  the  altera- 
tions immediately,  won't  you?"    ' 

CUSTOMER :  "Yes,  you  can  go  ahead,  and  that  will 
save  me  the  bother  of  a  tailor."  (Make  note  of  altera- 
tions necessary.) 


231  Science  anj)  Akt  of  Selling 

•    SALESLADY:     "May  I  show  you  one  of  the  new 
lovely  dress  suits?" 

CUSTOMER :  "No,  I  don't  want  to  make  that  selec- 
tion just  yet/' 

SALESLADY :  "I-  want  you  to  look  at  this  lovely 
suit.  Peach  bloom  material  with  lovely  beaver  collar. 
Just  try  it  on.  These  are  so  new.  The  reason  I'm  show- 
ing you  these  now  is  because  you  will  perhaps  want  a 
dress  suit  later  on  and  we  won't  have  them  to  show. 
These  materials  are  scarce  right  now." 

CUSTOMER :  **Are  all  the  suits  made  with  so  much 
embi:oidery  as  a  rule?" 

SALESLADY:  "Yes,  that  is  the  new  style,  but  if 
you  don't  like  this,  I'll  show  you  another."  (Trying  on 
another  suit.)  I  don't  like  this  on  you.  It  is  not  becom- 
ing." 

CUSTOMER  :    "Are  these  suits  imported?" 

SALESLADY:  "No,  these  are  domestic  suits. 
Here's  a  lovely  suit.  Won't  you  try  this  one  on?" 
(Tries  on  a  brown  suit.) 

CUSTOMER :  "I'm  sure  I  could  never  afford  a  suit 
as  beautiful  as  this.     It  is  entirely  too  expensive." 

SALESLADY:  "This  is  beautiful.  Look  at  the 
lovely  material." 

CUSTOMER:  "Are  these  good  pieces  of  fur?  Are 
they  the  very  best?" 


Model  Selling  Talks  335 

SALESLADY :  "Yes,  this  suit  is  lovely  on  you.  You 
want  an  attractive  suit  for  afternoon  wear.  You  only 
want  these  suits  for  the  season.  It's  right  now  you  want 
to  wear  them.     They  look  smart." 

CUSTOMER :  "This  has  a  touch  of  embroidery  too, 
hasn't  it?" 

SALESLADY:  "Yes,  it  has.  This  coat  without  the 
embroidery  would  be  lost.     Have  you  a  fur  scarf?" 

CUSTOMER:  "Yes,  I  have  a  mole  skin— sort  of  a 
cape  effect." 

SALESLADY:  "It  would  be  charming  with  that 
suit." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  do  like  this  model,  it  is  entirely 
different  from  anything  I  have  seen." 

SALESLADY :     "I  think  it  looks  charming  on  you." 

CUSTOMER :    "What  is  the  price  of  this  suit  ?" 

SALESLADY:    "$250.00." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  couldn't  think  of  buying  another 
suit." 

SALESLADY:  "But  with  all  that  lovely  material, 
it's  beautiful.  It  is  the  best  one  we've  purchased  this 
year  and  it  looks  lovely  on  you." 

CUSTOMER :    "How  is  the  skirt  made?" 

SALESLADY:  "The  skirt  is  very  simple.  Won't 
you  try  it  on?" 


236  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

CUSTOMER:     "Yes,  I  believe  I  will." 

SALESLADY:  "Just  step  into  this  skirt.  I'm  sure 
you  will  like  it,  it's  a  charming  skirt." 

CUSTOMER :  "Do  you  suppose  the  material  will  act 
like  velvet  and  wear  off?" 

SALESLADY:  "It  is  more  serviceable  than  velvet. 
You  will  have  to  have  it  steamed  once  in  a  while  to  bring 
the  nap  up.  It's  beautiful  material.  Just  a  moment.  I 
can't  see  imderneath  here.    Yes,  that  is  all  right  now." 

CUSTOMER:  ''What  about  the  length  of  this  skirt? 
Is  that  too  short  ?" 

SALESLADY:  "No,  this  is  just  about  right.  You 
wear  your  skirts  about  eight  inches  from  the  floor,  don't 
you." 

CUSTOMER:  "I  have  been  wearing  them  quite 
short." 

SALESLADY :  "All  you  have  to  do  is  put  a  snapper 
here.     It  doesn't  need  any  alteration  whatever." 

CUSTOMER:  "Well,  I  must  say  I  have  not  seen 
anything  I  like  so  well  in  a  long  time.  You  have  been 
very  kind  to  show  an  interest  in  me.  I  believe  I  shall 
have  this  sent  up  too.  It  seems  a  great  deal  to  pay,  but 
if  the  materials  are  serviceable  and  wear  well,  I  will 
take  them." 

SALESLADY:  "I  think  they  are  beautiful  and  you 
will  thank  me  later  on  for  telling  you  to  buy  this  suit 
now.    Will  you  pay  for  these  or  have  them  charged  ?" 


Model  Selling  Talks  237 

CUSTOMER :  *'I  will  have  them  charged.  I  have  my 
address  on  the  card  which  I  shall  give  you." 

SALESLADY :  "And  I  will  deliver  the  other  suit  to 
you  to-morrow." 

CUSTOMER  :     "Here's  my  card  and  address." 

SALESLADY:  "Thank  you  so  much.  I  am  sure 
you  are  going  to  be  pleased  with  your  suits.  You  have 
selected  two  of  the  best  models  we  have." 

CUSTOMER :     "You  have  been  very  kind." 

Summary       It  is  difficult  to  stage  a  selling  demonstra- 
tion without  allowing  some  feeling  of  self- 
consciousness  to  enter  in  and  find  expression,  both  on 
the  part  of  the  customer  and  the  salesperson. 

Do  you  find  any  violation  of  salesmanship  principles 
in  the  above  demonstration?    Explain. 

Do  you  find  any  place  where  the  salesperson  left  an 
opportunity  whereby  an  argument  might  have  been 
forced  upon  her? 

Was  any  spirit  of  antagonism  shown  by  either  the 
customer  or  the  salesperson? 

Criticize  or  comment  upon  the  various  suggestions 
given  to  the  customer  regarding  style,  fit,  color  or  work- 
manship. 

Were  they  positive  or  negative  ? 

Might  an  earlier  close  have  been  attempted  in  the  sale 
of  the  first  suit?     How  about  the  second? 

What  is  the  psychological  effect  of  getting  the  cus- 
tomer to  trv  on  a  suit  ? 


SnS  RCTKNCE  AND  Art  OF  Sl'LLTNC 

A  SELLING  TALK  ON  KITCHEN  RANGES 

Used  Successfully  in   a  Retail  Store. 

(This  applies  to  one  method  of  selling-  stoves  in  a  re- 
tail store,  where  the  stoves  are  all  set  up  and  the  pros- 
pective customer  comes  in  to  look  them  over.) 

Introduction      "Good  morning,  Mrs.  Hooper  \" 

Customer:     "Will  you  please  show  me 
some  of  your  kitchen  ranges?" 

Clerk:  "Yes,  I  will  be  glad  to  show  you  our  kitchen 
ranges.  We  have  a  splendid  assortment  and  I  know 
you  will  be  interested  in  looking  them  over  carefully." 

(Clerk  forms  estimate  of  her  buying  capacity.  De- 
cides she  wants  the  best  and  leads  the  way  to  a  high 
grade  stove.) 

Attention  "Isn't  that  a  beautiful  stove?  This  par- 
ticular range  is  one  of  the  best  on  the 
market  and  is  the  thing  to  fit  your  needs.  Just  look  it 
over!  It  is  modern  in  every  respect  and  has  all  the 
qualities  that  every  good  housekeeper  demands.  These 
steel  top  ranges  are  all  guaranteed." 

Interest  Before  going  into  more  of  the  details  of 

this  range,  I  would  like  to  call  your  atten- 
tion to  the  three  principal  things  which,  according  to 
our  experience,  always  present  themselves  to  the  care- 
ful buyer.  They  are:  First,  does  it  bake  well?  Second, 
is  the  material  good?    Third,  is  it  economical? 


MoDFx  Selling  Talks  ,     239 

Conviction  "The   baking   and   cooking   qualities   of 

this  range  are  exceptional,  and  that  is 
the  reason  we  have  sold  more  of  this  particular  stove 
than  any  other.  Ask  any  of  your  neighbors  who  have 
used  a  range  like  this  for  the  past  few  years  and  you 
will  hear  all  about  its  reliable  baking  and  cooking  feat- 
ures. Look  inside  the  oven,  please.  That's  a  nice, 
convenient  size,  isn't  it?  Yes,  Mrs.  Hooper,  the  oven 
heats  remarkably  fast.  That  is  due  to  the  air  chamber 
which  completely  surrounds  the  oven — and,  by  the  wa}^ 
this  quickness  of  heating  is  also  the  main  reason  why 
the  range  requires  so  little  fuel. 

"With  a  cast  iron  range,  you  know,  cooking  is  occa- 
sionally ruined  or  slowed  up  by  a  crack  in  the  top.  This 
steel  insures  you  against  any  such  trouble  and  we  back 
it  up  with  a  strong  guarantee..  You  can  see  how  much 
better  service  and  a  feeling  of  security  that  would  give, 
can't  you? 

"Did  you  notice  how  well  built  the  fire  box  is  ?  It  can 
be  used  for  either  wood  or  coal  by  removing  the  grates. 

"Here  is  your  reservoir!  It  is  all  copper  and  holds 
thirty-six  quarts  of  water.  It  is  removable  and  is  de- 
tached by  simply  reaching  under  here — see? — and  un- 
screwing a  large  set  screw.  It  is  child's  play  to  scrub  it 
out  whenever  necessary,  and  you  are  assured  of  having 
plenty  of  good,  clean  hot  water  all  the  time.  You  will 
appreciate  such  a  reservoir  even  more  after  you  have 
used  it  a  while. 


240  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Creating         "Now,  Mrs.  Hooper,  just  step  back  a  few 
Desire  paces,  please,  and  look  at  It  in  a  casual  way 

and  imagine  it  was  up  in  your  kitchen 
ready  to  use.  Isn't  it  a  pretty  range?  The  nickel  trim- 
mings are  plain  and  easy  to  clean.  It  will  actually  im- 
prove the  appearance  of  your  kitchen  one  hundred  per 
cent. 

Resolve  "We  deliver  and  set  this  stove  up  for  you  free 
to  Buy  of  charge.  This  type  is  proving  extremely 
•popular  and  hard  to  keep  in  stock  so  we 
cannot  always  guarantee  delivery.  By  a  special  effort 
v^^e  could  probably  get  your  stove  up  and  ready  to  operate 
within  the  next  two  or  three  days. 

Close  "But   you  would  be   willing  to   wait  a   little 

longer  than  that  if  necessary,  wouldn't  you?" 

CUSTOMER:    "Yes,  I  would." 

CLERK:  "When  w^ould  you  be  obliged  to  have  the 
stove,  Mrs.  Hooper?" 

■      CUSTOMER:    "Friday  will  be  all  right." 

CLERK:  "The  stove  will  be  set  up  and  ready  for 
your  use  Friday.  Would  you  desire  to  pay  cash  for  the 
stove  now,  Mrs.  Hooper?" 

CUSTOMER:  "Yes,  I  can  give  you  a  check." 
(Writes  a  check  for  $137.50.) 

Clerk  makes  out  'sales  ticket  as  per  store  regulations, 
marks  the  ticket  "paid"  and  gives  the  customer  a  copy 
for  her  receipt. 


Model  Selling  Talks  241 

CLERK:     "I  am  sure  you  will  be  delighted  with  this  • 

stove,  Mrs.  Hooper,  and  it  will  be  ready  for  you  to  use 
Friday." 

"Here  are  some  new  baking  pans  which  just  came  in 
to-day — " 

(Clerk    by    means    of    tactful    suggestion    sells    Mrs. 
Hooper  $63.00  worth  of  kitchen  utensils.) 


Talks  to  Retail 
Salesmen 


Compliments  of  National  Cash  Register  Company 


242 


CHAPTER  XXII 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 

Yourself 

You  can  be  either  an  order  taker  or  a  salesman. 

You  can  remain  an  order  taker  all  your  life,  or  you 
can  own  a  store  of  your  own  some  day. 

Everything  you  do  or  think  every  day  helps  to  decide 
which  it  shall  be. 

Decide  to-day  to  climb  high. 


Your  Employer 

The  kind  of  man  you  work 
for  has  a  big  effect  upon  your 
future.  It  is  from  him  you 
get  your  business  training, 
and  upon  the  kind  of  training 
you  get  depends  your  future 
success. 

If  you  are  working  in  a 
store  where  there  is  little 
check  upon  goods  or  money, 
and    where    carelessness    and 

indifference   pass    unnoticed,   give   up  your   job   to-day. 

You  cannot  afford  to  learn  any  but  the  best  business 

methods. 

But  if  you  have  an  up-to-date,  wide-awake  employer, 
be  grateful.    And  when  he  shows  you  how  to  do  things, 

243 


Listen  to  your  employer. 


244 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


be  thankful.    Ask  him  questions,  study  his  methods,  take 
full  advantage  of  your  opportunity  to  learn. 

The   man   who   isn't   willing  to   learn   will   never   get 
ahead. 


Your  health  and  habits 

Health  is  wealth.  You 
cannot  afford  to  take  any 
but  the  best  care  of  it. 
Energy  is  a  salesman's 
best  asset,  and  you  can't 
have  energy  without 
health. 

Here  are  the  five  es- 

Are  you  this  kind  of  a  clerk?  ,-   ■,        r  i       1.1 

sentials  of  health : 

Fresh  air. 

Pure  water. 

Good  food. 

Good  habits. 

Plenty  of  sleep. 

Don't  economize  on  any  of  these. 

Don't  say,  "It's  none  of  the  boss's  business  what  I  do 
outside  of  working  hours."  He  knows,  and  you  know, 
that  bad  habits  during  leisure  time,  bring  bad  results  in 
working  hours. 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 


245 


Plenty    of   sleep    is    necessary    to    keep    wide-awake. 
Keeping  wide-awake  is  essential  to  success. 

Watch  the  clock  in  the  morning  and 
be  sure  to  get  down  to  work  on  time. 
But  don't  watch  the  clock  during  the 
day.  People  will  think  you  are  lazy, 
and  no  one  ever  got  rich  being  lazy. 

Be  neat — always.  Have  your  shoes 
shined,  3^our  linen  clean,  your  clothes 
pressed,  your  hands  washed  and  your 
hair  properly  arranged.  Neatness  is  a 
bigger  factor  in  success  than  most 
people  imagine. 

Waste 

Every    salesman    can   benefit    himself 
and  his  employer  by  stopping  waste. 
This  is  what  waste  means:    A  quarter 
Be  neat— always.     ^^£  ^  ^.^j^^  jQgg  ^^  ^^^.j^  transaction  means 

a  loss  of  $200  a  year  in  a  store  doing  $30,000  a  year 
business. 

Never  give  over- 
weight. It's  the  same 
as  giving  away  your 
employer's  money. 

Never  waste  mater- 
ial. It's  the  same  as 
throwing  away  your 
employer's  money. 

Time  is  your  capi- 
tal, so  don't  waste  it. 


Learn  to  be  accnrate. 


246 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


There    is    always    something    else    that    needs    doing: 

Rearrange  goods. 

Check  stock. 

Make  price  cards. 

Sweep  the  floor. 

Wash  windows. 

Change  window  displays. 

The    salesman   who    is   al- 
ways busy  gets  ahead. 


Learn  how  to  wrap  liundles 
neatly,  so  as  to  use  the  least 
amount  of  paper  and  string. 


A  big  waste  in  many  stores  is  the  cost  of  making 
deliveries.  Salesmen  can  greatly  reduce  this  by  asking: 
"Will  yoti  take  this  with  you?'*  instead  of:  *'Do  you 
want  this  sent?" 


Dont  he  careless.  Careless  mistakes  have  eaten  the 
heart  out  of  many  a  business. 

Watch  stock  carefully  and  call  attention  to  goods  likely 
to  spoil  or  get  out  of  style.  Spoiled  and  out-of-date 
goods  cost  every  store  lots  of  money  each  year. 

Keep  old  stock  on  display  in  a  conspicuous  place.  It 
will  seem  new  to  customers. 

Many  a  merchant  has  sold  goods  he  thought  unsalable 
by  putting  them  in  the  limelight. 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 


247 


Besist  temptation. 


Honesty 

If  you  don't  want  to  be 
honest  because  it's  right, 
be  honest  because  it's  the 
best  policy. 

Your  employer  owes  it 
to  you  to  remove  all  need- 
less temptation.  He  has 
no  moral  right  to  run  his 
business  with  a  system  that 
offers  opportunities  for  dis- 
honesty. But  even  if  he 
does,  draw  a  line  between 

what  is  his  property  and  what  is  yours. 
Does  the  system  in  the  store  where  you  work  place 

temptation  in  your  way?     If  it  does,  tell  your  employer 

about  it  to-day. 

Does  it  subject  you  to  unjust  suspicion?     If  it  does, 
take  steps  to  protect  yourself  against  it. 

One  form  of  dishonesty  that  cannot  possibly  help  you 
or  the  store  is  to  misrepresent  goods. 

People  may  buy 
misrepresented  goods 
once,  but  never  a 
second  time. 

Be  the  kind  of 
salesman  that  people 
will  learn  to  depend 
upon.  The  stronger 
personal  hold  you  can 
get  on  customers,  the 


Tell  tlie  truth  about  your  goods. 


248 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


more'  you'll  be  worth  to  the  store. 

The  man  with  a  reputation  for  honesty  will  sell  more 
than  two  salesmen  with  reputations  for  taking  advantage 
when  they  have  the  opportunity. 

Disloyalty  is  a  form  of  dishonesty  of  the  meanest  sort. 

Be  loyal.  Make  your  employer's  interests  yours,  and 
he  will  overlook  many  of  your  faults. 

"Push  the  line  of  goods  he  wants  pushed.  It  won't  es- 
cape his  notice. 

A  lie  harms  the  business,  but  it  does  infinitely  more 
harm  to  the  clerk  who  tells  it. 

Nothing  truer  ever  was  said  than  that  "honesty  is  the 
best  policy." 

Courtesy 


/thats\ 

/GOOD      I 

Unouch y        I 


Nothing  is  more  im- 
portant to  success  than 
courtesy. 

Don't  be  a  "take  it  or 
leave  it"  sort  of  sales- 
man. 

Don't  make  customers 
feel  that  you  are  doing 
them  a  favor  by  waiting 
on  them. 

Don't  be  crusty  if  people  are  "just  looking  and  don't 
buy. 
Don't  say,  "What  d'ye  want  ?" 

Remember,  the  customer  is  the  store's  guest,  and  people 
will  flock  to  the  store  where  the  salesmen  are  always 
courteous. 


Don't  "be  a  *  'take  it  or  leave  It'  • 
salesperson. 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 


249 


Don't  slam  package  and  change  down  on  the  counter, 
or  drop  them  like  hot  cakes  into  the  customer's  hand. 
Take  time  to  hand  them  to  the  customer. 

The  salesman  who  is  kind  and  courteous  to  children 
is  laying  the  foundation  for  future  success. 

Be  polite  to  newcomers.  A  little  special  effort  to 
please  them  may  mean  dollars  in  profits  for  the  store  at 
the  end  of  the  year. 

Greet  customers  by  their  names,  if  possible.  It  will 
please  them  and  help  you  to  wait  on  them  in  order. 
Nothing  hurts  a  customer's  pride  more  than  to  be  passed 
up  in  favor  of  a  later  comer. 

Don't  call  women  customers  "Lady,"  or,  "My  dear," 
or  men  customers  "Gent."  Use  "Madam"  and  "Sir"  if 
you  must  address  them  directly. 

When  you  use  the  'phone,  transmit  a  smile. 

In  dealing  with  dis- 
satisfied customers,  ap- 
ply the  Golden  Rule. 

Treat  them  as  you 
would  want  to  be  treated 
were  you  in  their  place. 
A-  cranky  customer  sat- 
isfied will  speak  many  a 
good  word  for  you  and 
the  store. 


Greet  customers  by  their  names. 


250 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


Don't  be  an  automatic  vending 
macliine. 


Selling  Goods 
There  are  five  things  every  salesman  should  know : 

(1)  What  goods  his 
store  has  to  sell. 

(2)  Where  they  may 
be  found. 

(3)  Everything  he  can 
about  the  goods  he  sells. 

(4)  Prices. 

(5)  How  to  please  cus- 
tomers. Show  all  the  kinds 
of    goods    you    can.      The 

more  goods  you  show  the  more  goods  you  will  sell. 

Talk  quality.  It  means  profits  to  the  store  and  it  means 
satisfied  customers.  People  think  of  price  when  buying, 
but  it  is  quality  they  think  of  when  using  the  goods. 

Don't  ask:  "Do  you  want  these  goods  sent?"  Say: 
"Will  you  take  these  goods  with  you?" 

Don't  think  you  know 
better  than  the  customer 
what  she  wants.  Show 
the  goods,  and  explain 
their  values,  but  let  the 
customer  make  the 
choice.  Forced  sales  of- 
ten mean  dissatisfaction 
or       returned       goods. 


TTse  suggestion  In  selling. 


neither  of  which  is  profitable. 

On   the   other  hand,   don't   be   an   automatic   vending 
machine.    Be  a  salesman.     You  have  no  idea  how  much 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 


251 


can  be  sold  by  systematically  calling  attention  to  goods 
the  customer  didn't  come  into  the  store  to  buy. 

ASK,  "WHAT  ELSE?"  INSTEAD  OF  "IS  THAT 
ALL?"  MAKE  A  POSITIVE  SUGGESTION  AL- 
WAYS. 

And  remember  that  a  customer  is  a  possible  purchaser, 
as  long  as  she  is  in  the  store. 

Get  your  employer  to  keep  a  record  of  the  number 
and  amount  of  your  sales.  Then  each  week  try  to  beat 
last  week's  record. 


Getting  Ahead 

Here  are  a  few  rules  for  getting  ahead: 

In  dealing  with  people  always  put  yourself  in  the  other 
fellow's  place. 

Be  sure  that  when  you  waste  time,  it's  your  own  time 
you  are  wasting. 

Watch  habits  and  companions — they  make  or  break 
many  a  man. 

Plan  your  work,  then 
v/ork  your  plan.  Once 
every  month  ask  your 
emplo}'er  how  your 
work  can  be  improved. 

Spend    at    least    ten 
minutes  alone  each  day 
thinking:     "How  can  I 
do  my  work  quicker  and 
better?" 


Be  energetiCt 


25S  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


Don't  be  afraid  to  do 
things  you  weren't  hired 
to  do.  It's  the  men  who 
do  more  than  they  are 
hired  to  do  that  win 
success. 

When  you  get  good 
ideas  put  them  into 
effect  before  you  forget 
them. 


Use  your  spare  time  rlgbt. 


HAVE  A  PLACE  FOR  EVERYTHING,  AND 
KEEP  EVERYTHING  IN  ITS  PLACE. 

Learn  the  things  the  man  needs  to  know  who  fills 
the  place  you  want  to  fill  some  day. 

Determine  to  succeed.  You  can  do  anything  you 
want  to  do  if  your  desire  is  strong  enough. 

Be  alert  to  make  improvements. 

Remerpber  always,  every  minute  you  spend  making 
yourself  more  valuable  to  your  employer  makes  you 
more  valuable  to  vourself. 


50  things  that 
will  help  you  get  ahead 


1.  Simple 
food, 
quality, 
quantii  y. 

2.  Regular- 
ity in  eat- 
ing and 
sleep. 

3.  Masticate; 
do  not 
hurry. 

4.  We  are  a 
part  of  all 
we  have 
eaten. 

5.  Exercise,  5 
min.,  three 
times 
daily. 

6.  Air — mos' 
importani 

7.  Sunlight, 
artificial 
light. 

8.  Water  in- 
side and 
outside. 

9.  Loose 
clothing. 

10.  Early  to 
sleep;  get 
plenty. 


1.  Think 
sanely. 

2.  Learn 
from 
mental 
superiors. 

3.  Learn  to 
listen  at- 
tentively. 

4.  Read 
best 
newspa- 
pers and 
books. 

5.  Improve 
the  mem- 
ory. 

6.  Concen- 
trate. 

7.  Don't 
worry  un- 
necessa- 
rily. 

8.  Be  sys- 
tematic. 

9.  Weigh 
both 
sides. 

10.  Avoid 
inferior 
minds. 


1.  Right  is 
right, 
wrong  ia 
wrong. 

2.  Be  truth- 
ful. 

3.  Ignore 
precedent 
if  wrong. 

4.  Seek 
elevating 
recrea- 
tion. 

5.  Don't 
deceive 
yourself, 

6.  Learn  to 
say  "no." 

7.  Live  up 
to  your 
princi- 
ples. 

8.  Avoid 
tempta- 
tion. 

9.  Form 
good 
habits. 

10.  Have  a 
constitu- 
tion. 


1.  Increase 
my  earn- 
ings. 

2.  Decrease 
unneces- 
sary ex- 
pense. 

3.  Save 
money. 

4.  Money 
makes 
money. 

5.  Invest— 
don't 
gamble. 

6.  Make 
family 
budget. 

7.  Hard 

.  work. 

8.  Study 
the  busi- 
ness. 

9.  Pay  cash 
for  every- 
thing. 

10.  Increase 
credit 
balance. 


1.  Avoid 
bad  asso- 
ciates. 

2.  Select 
helpful 
friends. 

3.  Think 
alone. 

4.  Learn  to 
be  happy 
alone. 

5.  Family 
best  com- 
pany. 

6.  Work  out 
alone,  my 
problems. 

7.  Avoid 
so-called 
society. 

8.  Enter- 
tain eco- 
nomic- 
ally. 

9.  Stand 
well  with 
neigh- 
bors. 

10.  Do  some 
welfare 
work. 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen  255 


(V^ 


wJL 


HOW  TO  OVERCOME  BAD  HABITS 

1.  Make   good    resolutions    intelligently,    and   record 
them. 

2.  Take  advantage   of  every  circumstance  that  will 
help  you  keep  your  resolutions. 

3.  Keep  away  from  temptation. 

4.  Keep  away  from  associates  who  discourage  yon. 

5.  Put  yourself  in  relations  that  will  encourage  you 
in  the  new  way. 

6.  Seize  the  first  opportunity  to  act  on   resolutions 
you  make. 

7.  Make  engagements  that  will  keep  you  out  of  the 
old  way. 

8.  Never  suffer  an  exception  to  occur  to  hinder  the 
new  habit  from  becoming  securely  rooted  in  your  Ufe. 

9.  Remember,  until  the  new  habit  is  fixed,  each  lapse 
makes  it  more  difficult  to  acquire. 

10.  It  is  the  keeping  and  not  the  making  of  good 
resolutions  that  affects  the  brain. 


256 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


The   Value   Cf   A    Smile 

The  salesman  with  a  smile  has  a  long  start  over  the 
one  with  a  grouch. 

The  grouchy  salesman  should  be  kept  in  the  stock 
room,  and  away  from  customers. 

Sometimes  the  customer  is  disagreeable  and  annoying. 
Don't  loose  your  temper;  it  shows  your  weakness. 

Sometimes  you  do  not  feel  well,  and  it  is  hard  to  be 
pleasant.  Don't  talk  about  your  troubles;  try  to  forget 
them.     Smile,  and  do  the  best  you  can. 

When  you  use  the  telephone,  speak  pleasantly.  Let 
your  voice  carry  a  smile. 


1  I — ^^, 


Put  Your   Heart  Into  Your  Work 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen 


257 


Success  now,  in  to-day's  job,  will  be  a  great  help  in 
the  future,  whatever  your  work  may  be. 

The  more  you  know  about  your  goods,  the  better 
salesman  you  will  be. 

Learn  all  you  can  about  the  goods,  and  be  able  to 
make  comparisons. 

People  prefer  to  deal  with  the  clerk  who  knows  the 
goods  and  always  tells  the  truth  about  them. 


How    To    Become    A    Better    Salesman 


It  is  not  difficult  to  learn  how  to  sell  goods.  Sales- 
manship is  not  an  art  that  has  to  be  born  in  you.  It  is 
something  you  can  learn. 

Here  are  five  simple  things  that  will  help  you  to 
become  a  better  salesman.  Learn  them,  think  about 
them,  and  put  them  Into  practice  every  day  in  the  store, 
and  you  will  become  more  efficient: 

(1)  Courtesy  to  the  customer. 

(2)  A  desire  to  please  the  customer. 

(3)  Interest  in  your  work. 

(4)  A  knowledge  of  your  goods, 

(5)  Price  of  the  goods. 


258  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

TEN   COMMANDMENTS   OF   SALESMANSHIP 
By  Dr.   Frank   Crane 

(1)  Be  agreeable.  Be  agreeable  in  voice  and  in  all 
details  of  dress.  Like  the  average  customer,  I  am  not 
a  slave  to  reason,  and  I  go  where  they  treat  me  most 
agreeably. 

(2)  Know  the  things  you  are  selling  me.  Tell  me 
what  I  want  to  know  about  them,  in  English. 

(3)  Don't  argue  with  me.  When  you  disagree  with 
me,  and  tell  me  about  it,  you  probably  will  succeed  in 
antagonizing  me. 

(4)  Make  it  plain,  whatever  it  is.  Don't  talk  at 
random. 

(5)  Tell  the  truth.  If  you  lie,  don't  expect  me  to 
come  back. 

(6)  Be  dependable.  If  you  promise  me  something,, 
keep  your  promise. 

(7)  Remember  my  name  and  face.  Nothing  pleases 
a  man  more  than  subtle  flattery. 

(8)  Beware  of  egotism.  Don't  tell  me  about  your- 
self when  you  are  trying  to  sell  me  something.  Get  me 
to  talk  about  myself  if  you  can. 

(9)  Think  success.  Radiate  confidence;  it's  contag- 
ious. 

(10)  Be  human.  Selling  goods  successfully  is  a 
psychological  proposition. 


/  WILL  study  and  prepare,  and  then, 
some    day,     my     chance    will    come, 

— Abraham  Lincoln. 


Talks  to  Retail  Salesmen  259 

QUESTIONS  ON  TALKS  TO  RETAIL  SALESMEN 

1.  Relate    from  your   own   experience   a   sample   of 
"Order  taking."     Of  "Salesmanship." 

2.  Give  some  essentials  of  a  good  employer  or  man- 
ager. 

3.  What  are  the  five  essentials  of  good  health? 

4.  What  importance  do  you  attach  to  personal  neat- 
ness? 

5.  Give  some  examples  of  waste  in  retailing  and  your 
idea  of  overcoming  such. 

6.  Give  several  ways  of  being  dishonest-  to  your  em- 
ployer. 

7.  What  advantage  Is  gained  in  being  able  to  call  the 
customer  by  name? 

8.  What  is  a  habit? 

9.  How  would  you  proceed  to  overcome  a  bad  habit? 

10.  Give  Dr.  Crane's  "Commandments  on  Salesman- 
ship." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


Retail  Selling  Methods 

The  following  analysis  of  the  selling  methods  of 
W.  G.  Shaw,  head  of  the  Shaw  &  Brown  Company, 
dealers  in  jewelry,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  appeared  in 
the  American  Magazine.  Mr.  Shaw's  selling  methods 
^re  so  near  the  ideal  that  we  wish  to  make  them  a  part 
of  this  book. 

The  article  was  written  by  Mr.  Allison  Gray  and  be- 
gins as  follows: 

"ISTot  long  ago  I  happened  to  be  in  Washington — and 
I  also  happened  to  want  to  bi^y  a  pin  or  brooch,  with  a 
lapis-lazuli  setting.  In  the  course  of  my  search,  I  went 
into  a  store,  where  I  found  not  only  a  pin  that  pleased 
me,  but  also  a  man  with  remarkably  definite  and  inter- 
esting ideas  about  retail  salesmanship. 

Retail  *'This    is   how   it    came   about:      I   was 

Salesmanship  hesitating  over  the  pin,  for  it  was  rather 
expensive,  when  a  man  somewhat  older 
than  the  salesman  who  was  waiting  on  me  came  up, 
smiled  courteously,  and  asked  if  there  was  something 
special  I  wanted.  I  did  not  know  that  the  man  was  Mr. 
Shaw  himself,  nor  that  I  was  about  to  see  a  fine  example 
of  retail  salesmanship.     That  came  later. 

"Yes,"  I  said,  in  reply  to  his  question,  "I  want  a  pin 
with  a  lapis  setting,  and  it  isn't  easy  to  find." 

"No,  it  is  not,"  he  agreed.  "But  I  am  fond  of  the 
stone  myself,  so  I  have  an  unusual  number  of  them.  If 
you  will  allow  me — " 

260 


Retail  Selling  Methods  261 

Arousing       Putting  on  a  jeweler's  magnifying  glass, 
Interest  he  carefully  examined  the  pin  I  had  been 

looking  at.  Already,  you  see,  he  had  done 
three  things  that  registered  favorably  with  me.  He  had 
approached  me  courteously,  he  had  said  he  was  partic- 
lilarly  interested  in  the  thing  that  interested  me,  and  his 
careful  examination  of  it  implied  that  it  was  worth 
special  attention.  After  scrutinizing  it  through  his  glass, 
he  said: 

"As  you  are  fond  of  the  stone,  perhaps  you  know  that 
there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  quality  of  various 
specimens.  If  you  can  manage  to  use  this  glass  of  mine, 
you  will  see  that  this  is  a  particularly  fine  piece.  The 
color  is  right,  the  texture  is  good,  and  there  are  no  white 
blotches.  The  mounting  is  hand-wrought,  too.  It  is 
perfectly  finished  at  the  back.  People  who  really  care 
for  beautiful  things  are  sensitive  to  such  details." 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "but  isn't  the  stone  a  trifle  ragged  along 
the  edge?" 

Again  he  examined  it. 

"YouVe  right,"  he  admitted.  "Vour  eyes  were  keenef 
than  mine.  If  you  are  not  in  a  hurry  for  it,  however,  I'll 
send  it  to  a  lapidary  and  have  the  stone  recut." 

I  agreed  to  this,  the  details  ^vere  settled  and  the  trans- 
action was  ended.  But  not  his  interest !  Although,  as  I 
had  found  out  by  this  time,  he  was  the  proprietor  of  the 
store,  he  did  not  bow  me  out  as  soon  as  I  had  made  my 
purchase. 


262  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Personal  "If  you   care   for  beautiful  things,"   he 

Interest  in  said,  "perhaps  you  will  let  me  show  you 

Customer  some." 

And  for  half  an  hour  he  took  me  about 
the  place,  showing  me  rare  and  lovely  things,  talking  of 
them  with  so  much  enthusiasm,  and  with  such  knowledge 
and  appreciation  that  it  was  a  delightful  experience  for 
me.  He  told  where  he  had  found  certain  pieces,  of  their 
interesting  history,  of  the  men  who  had  made  them.  And 
all  the  time  he  seemed  to  be  doing  it  as  if  it  were  as 
much  for  his  pleasure  as  for  mine.  There  was  in  it  no 
attempt  to  sell  goods.  It  was  more  as  if  he  were  a 
collector,  showing  his  treasures  to  someone  who,  he 
thought,  would  enjoy  seeing  them. 

Finally  I  said  to  him,  "Do  your  clerks  feel  the  same 
interest  in  these  things  that  you  do?" 

He  shook  his  head. 

"Not  often,"  he  said.  "I  could  afford  to  pay  a  sales- 
man five  thousand  dollars  more  a  year  if  he  felt  as  I  do 
about  the  things  he  has  to  sell.  You  see,  a  salesman's 
value  to  his  employer  is  perfectly  easy  to  compute.  It 
is  a  simple  matter  of  arithmetic.  Take  it  in  the  jewelry 
business,  for  example.  A  man  who  can  sell  three  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods  a  year  Is  worth 
a  salary  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars  a  year.  That  is  the 
percentage  basis  on  which  salaries  are  adjusted — at  least, 
in  this  particular  business. 

"But  the  thing  which  most  salesmen  do  not  realize  is 
that  the  amount  of  goods  a  man  sells  depends,  to  a  very 
great  extent,  on  his  interest  in  them,  his  knowledge  about 
them,  and  his  imagination  concerning  them  and  the  cus- 
tomer. 


Retail  Selling  Methods  263 

"Of  course,  there  are  some  phenomenal  salesmen,  who 
are  born  with  a  sort  of  genius  for  it.  They  can  sell 
anything,  rubies,  real  estate,  hats,  shoes,  chairs  or  any- 
thing else.  But  I  believe  that  even  an  average  salesman, 
or  a  poor  one,  could  easily  double  his  value  to  his  em- 
ployer if  he  would  put  two  things  into  his  work. 

Mind  and  "Those  two  things  are  his  mind  and  his 
Heart  in  heart.  Take  the  case  of  this  pin  you 
Selling  bought.     I  really  care  for  the  stone  and  I 

know  a  great  deal  about  it.  You  see,  we 
almost  always  do  learn  things  about  what  we  care  for. 
And  that  pin  isn't  just  one  of  a  million  others  to  me,  any 
more  than  it  is  to  you.  Because  of  my  knowledge,  I  am 
able  to  point  out  the  quality  of  the  stone  and  of  the  work- 
manship.   And  because  of  my  interest,  I  like  to  do  it. 

"All  this  goes  to  make  a  community  of  feeling  between 
you  and  me.  It  is  almost  as  if  we  were  choosing  it  to- 
gether, not  as  if  I  were  simply  selling  it  to  you.  And 
that,  I  think,  gives  you  confidence  in  me.  It  is  as  if  I 
were  on  your  side  of  the  counter,  as,  in  feeling,  I  really 
am.  And  then,  the  fact  that  you  especially  wanted  that 
certain  kind  of  pin  appealed  to  my  imagination.  I  tried 
to  put  myself  in  your  place.  I  guessed  that  it  was  to  be 
a  gift,  and,  like  you,  I  ^^'anted  it  to  be  one  that  would 
give  pleasure  and  satisfaction. 


Negative  "Too  often  the  selling  of  an  article  is 

Salesmanship     conducted  by  the  salesman  as  if  it  were 

a  struggle  between  two  opponents :     one 

trying  to  force  the  other  to  take  something  he  isn't  sure 


$64  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

he  wants.  That  kind  of  a  salesman  will  use  almost 
anything  as  a  weapon.  He  will  be  insincere,  sometimes 
downright  untruthful  about  the  goods  he  is  showing. 
He  will  flatter  the  customer,  if  he  thinks  that  will  win. 
Of  he  will  resort  to  covert  ridicule,  if  he  hopes  to  gain 
an  advantage  in  that  way.  All  he  wants  is  to  make  a 
sale,  regardless  of  the  purchaser's  interest. 

"But  the  moment  a  customer  feels  that  the  salesman 
is  thinking  of  him,  and  that  the  salesman  also  knows 
the  goods,  that  moment  there  is  created  a  feeling  of 
(Confidence.  Mere  knowledge  of  the  goods  is  not  enough, 
although  it  is  an  essential  to  the  best  results.  But  It  is 
only  merchandise  to  them. 

"That  kind  of  a  salesman  Is  too  likely  to  be  one  of 
those  whose  only  idea  is  to  sell  something!  He  may 
know  that  what  you  are  looking  at  isn't  what  you  really 
want,  or  even  what  you  think  It  Is.  But  he  doesn't 
regard  that  as  any  concern  of  his.  If  he  can  get  you  to 
take  It,  thereby  'working  off'  a  piece  of  merchandise, 
he  feels  that  he  has  scored. 

"The  man  who  has  a  genuine  interest  in  his  customers 
doesn't  do  that.  It  goes  against  the  grain.  He  feels 
absolutely  dishonest  in  selling  you  something  you  are  not 
going  to  be  satisfied  with.  He  will  try  and  find  what 
will  satisfy  you.  And  that  kind  of  salesman  Is  the  one 
that  builds  up  a  clientele  for  the  store  and  for  himself. 
He  Is  the  kind  that  has  regular  customers,  people  who 
come  In  and  stand  around  waiting  until  he  Is  free  to 
serve  them. 


Retail  Selling  Methods  265 

Salesmen  "The  best  salesmen  have  that  quality  of 

with  Vision  imagination  I  spoke  of  just  now.  They 
see  beyond  their  counters,  or  their  show^ 
rooms.  They  want  to  know  where  the  things  came  from, 
and  they  li!:e  to  speculate  as  to  where  the  things  are 
going. 

"All  these  ornaments  should  not  be  Just  so  many  pieces 
of  merchandise  to  my  clerks.  To  me,  they  are  almost 
like  Individuals,  with  qualities  of  their  own.  It  is  like 
the  difference  between  bein^  the  superinteildent  of  an 
orphan  asylum  and  the  father  of  a  family. 

"To  the  superintendent  of  the  asylum  the  children  In 
his  institution  are  probably  just  inmates,  but  to  the  father 
of  a  family,  the  children  in  his  home  are  Tom  and  Jack 
and  Mary  and  Helen ;  he  knows  all  their  little  peculiari- 
ties, and  is  Immensely  Interested  In  what  happens  to 
them.  He  studies  them  and  has  a  real  affection  fof 
them. 

"To  the  average  salesman,  these  rings  and  pins  and 
necklaces  are  just  so  many  inmates  of  the  cases.  But  to 
me  they  are  individually  beautiful  and  Interesting.  I 
study  them  and  learn  all  I  can  about  them.  And  when 
I  sell  one  of  them,  perhaps  I  Involuntarily  communicate 
some  of  my  interest  to  my  customer. 

"I  have  watched  many,  many  salesmen;  In  my  own 
store  and  in  other  establishments  of  all  kinds.  And  it 
is  a  curious  fact  that  those  who  are  most  interested  In 
the  goods  they  are  selling  are  the  ones  who  have  the 
most — let  me  see,  what  shall  I  call  It? — the  most  con- 
science, about  their  sales.  And  In  the  long  run  that  is 
the  quality  which  builds  up  your  standing  as  a  salesman. 


266  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Serve  the  "Of  course,  it  is  common,  at  least  it  should 
Buyer's  be,  for  the  salesman  to  know  more  about 

Interest  the  quality  of  his  goods  than  the  average 

customer  knows.  When  he  does,  it  is  right 
for  him  to  guide  the  purchaser  in  making  a  choice.  It 
is  a  delicate  problem  just  how  far  to  go  in  this  respect. 
If  a  customer  really  wants  something  which  in  your 
judgment  isn't  suited  to  him,  or  to  the  purpose  you 
think  he  has  in  mind,  naturally  you  must  let  him  have  it. 
But  when  the  customer  is  passive,  has  no  particular 
preference — and  still  less  knowledge — of  the  goods,  a 
salesman  who  does  have  expert  knowledge  should  try  to 
make  it  serve  the  buyer's  interest.  It  should  be  a  matter 
of  selling  conscience  with  him. 

"  'But  you  cannot  have  this  selling  conscience  unless 
you  are  deeply  interested  in  your  goods  and  in  your  cus- 
tomer. This  doesn't  apply  to  jewelry  only,  by  any  means. 
It  would  be  just  the  same  if  a  man  were  selling  food,  or 
furniture,  or  motor  cars,  or  shoes.  Why,  just  think  of 
the  things  worth  knowing  about  shoes  themselves  as  well 
as  about  the  customer  as  a  wearer  of  shoes!  I  think  I 
could  give  a  whole  lecture  on  How  to  Sell  Shoes. 

"  'And  suppose  a  man  were  dealing  In  houses.  He 
would  make  a  far  better  salesman  of  them  if  he  studies 
materials  and  designs,  and  if  he  went  even  further  and 
thought  of  them  as  homes,  instead  of  as  mere  combina- 
tions of  brick  and  wood  and  stone. 

Imagination       "  'That  is  where  imagination  comes  in. 

The  real  estate  salesman  ought  to  think 

about  his  customers  in  relation  to  a  house.     If  he  does, 

he  wants  to  know  about  the  family,  how  many  children 


Retail  Selling  Methods  267 

there  are,  what  tastes  the  family  has.  Then  he  will  have 
a  picture  of  that  family  as  it  would  be  in  the  various 
houses  he  has  to  sell. 

"  'Immediately  he  is,  so  to  speak,  on  their  side  of  the 
counter.  He  is  house-hunting  with  them.  He  enters  into 
the  discussion  of  their  problems.  It  appeals  to  his  imag- 
ination. He  puts  his  expert  knowledge  sincerely  at  their 
service.  And  that  man  will  sell  a  house  twice  as  easily, 
and  ten  times  as  satisfactorily,  as  the  man  who  is  simply 
bent  on  working  off  something,  or  anything,  on  a  pur- 
chaser. No  matter  what  a  man  has  to  sell,  he  will  do  it 
better  if  he  tries  to  think  with  his  customer. 

"  *Of  course,  to  be  that  kind  of  a  salesman,  one  should 
choose  the  right  kind  of  firm  to  work  for.  Some  firms 
follow  methods  which  can  only  be  described  as  shoveling 
in  and  shoveling  out.  Anything  to  get  the  stuff  sold! 
But  a  man  who  has  ideas,  and  ideals,  about  salesmanship 
can  find  plenty  of  firms  who  believe  in  playing  the  long 
game,  firms  which  know  that  one  injudicious  sale  may 
cost  them  a  customer. 

How  to  "  'To  be  a  good  salesman  one  should  have 

Approach  the  gift  of  knowing  how  to  approach  people. 
Some  men  have  this  naturally,  but  It  can  be 
acquired  to  an  extent  that  will  make  things  easy.  Cour- 
tesy, interest,  sincerity,  and  knowledge  of  what  one  is 
selling,  that  Is  what  Is  needed ;  and  anyone  can  have  these 
qualities  if  he  tries. 

"  'A  show  of  Interest,  without  sincerity,  rings  false. 
You  know  instinctively  that  it  is  only  assumed.  Every- 
one detests  the  over-anxious  salesman  who  fastens  on 
you  like  a  leech  and  won't  let  go. 


268  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

"  'But  the  man  who  approaches  you  with  a  smile  and 
who  listens,  really  listens,  with  interest  and  understand- 
ing— to  your  statement  of  what  you  want,  has  made  th^ 
first  step  into  your  confidence. 

"  'It  IS  amazing,  though,  how  often  the  retail  sales^ 
ftian,  or  saleswoman,  does  not  even  listen  with  under-^ 
standing*  to  what  the  customer  says.  I  have  gone  into 
stores  hundreds  of  times,  told  a  clerk  clearly  and  con^ 
Cisely  what  I  was  looking  for,  and  been  shown  some^ 
fhihg  absolutely  different.  If  I  said,  'No,  I  want  such 
and  such  a  thing,'  he  would  bring  something  else  just  as 
far  removed  from  what  I  described. 

"  'I  have  studied  this  matter  of  retail  salesmanship 
pretty  carefully,  and  I  have  figured  that  in  actual  selling 
power  the  appearance  of  the  goods,  their  attractiveness, 
counts  one-quarter.  The  salesman's  ability  counts  three- 
(Juarters.  I  have  based  this  conclusion  on  the  results 
gotten  from  different  ways  of  displaying  goods  and  the 
handling  of  them  by  salesmen  of  varying  ability. 

"  'For  instance,  you  can  see  that  with  a  certain  group 
of  goods,  not  especially  attractive  in  themselves  and  not 
well  displayed,  I  could  gauge  pretty  accurately  the  dif- 
ferent salesmen  who  handled  them»  By  comparing  the 
results  obtained  by  the  same  salesmen  with  different 
departments  of  the  stock,  I  could  arrive  not  only  at  the 
relative  selling  ability  of  the  men  themselves  but  also  at 
the  relation  between  the  selling  power  of  the  goods  and 
of  the  men  handling  them. 

"  'It  is  only  recently  that  salesmanship  has  had  any- 
thing like  the  standing  it  should  have  in  business.  And 
even  now  much  retail  selling  is  about  on  a  par  with  day 


Retail  Selling  Methods  269 

labor,  so  far  as  the  interest  of  the  people  engaged  in  it 
is  concerned. 

"  'But  there  is  a  great  deal  of  retail  salesmanship  which 
should  rank  with  the  best  professions.  It  requires  study, 
training,  the  best  qualities  of  mind  and  character.  And 
its  rewards  are  as  great  as  in  some  careers  which  are 
more  highly  thought  of. 

"  'The  trouble  with  most  retail  salesmen  is  they  never 
have  thought  of  it  as  a  real  career.  They  probably 
drifted  Into  it  without  any  particular  ambition,  not  realiz- 
ing that  there  were  opportunities  in  it  for  reaching 
something  big. 

"  'And  yet  the  opportunity  is  there.  A  firstclass  sales- 
man is  sure  to  attract  the  notice  of  people  above  him. 
The  record  is  too  plain  to  be  overlooked.  In  that  respect 
he  is  different  from  a  bookkeeper. 

"  'Some  men  build  a  stone  wall  around  themselves  by 
their  choice  of  an  occupation.  And  the  bookkeeper,  it 
seems  to  me,  is  one  of  these.  But  the  salesman  is  differ- 
ent. The  boy  who  begins  by  selling  tacks  may  end  by 
owning  the  store.  Or  he  may  climb  in  salesmanship 
until  he  is  dealing  in  diamond  necklaces  or  skyscrapers. 
With  imagination  and  ambition  he  is  pretty  sure  to 
succeed. 

"  'What  I  want  is  to  have  courses  in  salesmanship 
introduced  into  our  high  schools.  Do  you  realize  the 
enormous  number  of  boys  and  girls  whose  first  step  on 
leaving  school  is  to  get  a  job  in  a  store?  They  want  to 
begin  earning  money,  and  that  seems  the  easiest  way. 

"  'If  they  had  been  taught,  that  salesmanship  was  an 
art  and  a  science,  if  they  had  been  trained  in  the  best 


270  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

ideals  and  practice  of  selling,  the  whole  thing  would  be 
put  on  a  higher  plane. 

"  'Why,  just  think  of  the  thousands  of  boys  who  go 
into  grocery  stores  every  year !  How  many  of  them  think 
of  their  job  as  something  on  which  to  use  their  imagina- 
tion? And  yet  there  is  a  wonderful  field  for  that  very 
quality  in  every  grocery  store  in  the  world.  There  isn't 
a  place  where  you  can  come  closer  to  human  nature. 

"  'Interest  in  your  customer  ?  Why,  there  are  a  hun- 
dred chances  a  day  to  be  interested !  Mrs.  A.  comes  in 
with  her  list,  and  before  she  is  half  way  through,  you 
know  she's  going  to  have  a  party  of  some  kind.  At  once 
you  are  Interested  and  eager.  At  any  rate,  you  should 
be — and  she  likes  it !  The  next  day  you  ask  her  how  the 
party  went  off,  or  you  tell  her  that  you  read  the  account 
of  it  In  the  paper.  Were  the  grapefruit  all  right? 
You  picked  them  out  yourself.  And  did  she  have  those 
little  caviar  sandwiches?  Were  they  good?  You've 
never  had  any  yourself,  and  you've  always  wondered 
what  they  tasted  like. 

"  'It  is  just  the  same  in  any  retail  business.  vStudy 
your  goods,  and  study  the  people  you  deal  with.  Learn 
their  tastes.  Try  to  be  of  real  service  to  them.  Feel  as 
if  you  were  on  their  side  of  the  counter. 

"  'I  admit  that  I  am  enthusiastic  on  the  subject.  I 
waijt  to  see  retail  selling  have  both  a  higher  standard  and 
a  higher  standing.  It  ought  to  be  regarded  as  a  genuine 
career ;  for  there  are  the  same  opportunities  in  it  for  the 
display  of  intelligence,  honor,  culture,  and  ability  as  there 
are  in  any  other  occupation/  " 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


Retail  Store  Training 

INSTRUCTIONS  TO  NEW  SALESPEOPLE 

In  Wm.  Filene's  Sons  Company's  Store,  Boston,  Mass. 

STORE  ROUTINE 

Checking        Unless  otherwise  directed,  special  employ- 
Wraps  ees  will  check  their  wraps. 

Department        The  employee  will  find  the  number  of 
his  department  on  the  card  given  him  by 
the  Employment  Office. 

Use  of  He  shall  then  report  to  the  Floor  Super- 

Employment  intendent  of  his  department  and  give  him 
Office  Card  the  card.  The  Floor  Superintendent  will 
sign  it  when  he  goes  to  luncheon  and 
when  he  returns.  At  night  he  will  take  it  to  the  Cash 
Office,  where  he  w^ill  receive  his  pay.  These  cards  are 
to  be  turned  in  every  night. 

Sales-  The  salesperson's  number  will  be  found  in 

Person's  the  square  space  in  the  right-hand  corner 

Number  of  the  card.     This  number  is  to  be  used  to 

fill  in  the  "salesperson's  number"  on  the 
sales  slip.  Employees  should  make  sure  to  look  at  the 
number  every  morning,  as  it  is  often  changed. 

Lunch        The  employee  will  be  told  by  the  Floor  Super- 
Hours        intendent  when  to  go  to  lunch  and  how  long 
to  stay.    All  employees  are  entitled  to  the  use 
of  the  Lunch  Room.  Rest  Room,  Library,  and  Clinic. 

271 


272  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Work  for  While   the   employee   is   working   on  a 

Longer  Than  special  card  he  will  be  told  at  the  Em- 
One  Day  ployment  Office  each  night  whether  or 
not  he  is  to  report  for  work  the  next 
day.  He  will  go  to  the  Employment  Office  and  receive 
a  card  each  morning  before  going  to  his  department. 

Entering  Store  hours  are  from  9:00  a.  m.  to  5:30 

and  Leaving      p.  m.  unless  the  employee  is  told  others 
the  Store  wise.     Employees  should  be  in  the  store 

before  8:50  a.  m.  They  should  enter 
and  leave  the  store  by  the  employees*  entrance.  They 
may  use  any  elevator  before  9  :00  a.  m.  and  after  5  ;30 
p.  m.  At  other  times  they  should  use  the  Employees' 
elevator. 

Rule  Each   special  employee  will  be  given  a  rule 

Book  book  and  will  be  held  responsible  for  the  rules 

relating  to  conduct  found  in  this  book. 

Service  to  Special  employees  are  asked  to  remember 
Customer  that  customers  do  not  know  they  are  not 
regular  employees  of  the  store.  The  service 
is  judged  by  their  actions  as  well  as  by  those  of  the 
older  employees.  If  they  are  asked  questions  they  are 
unable  to  answer,  they  should  find  out  from  the  Floor 
Superintendent  or  from  one  of  the  older  salespeople  the 
information  the  customer  wants.  They  should  be  very 
careful  never  to  make  a  statement  about  the  merchandise 
unless  they  are  absolutely  sure  that  it  is  true.  They 
should  learn  the  location  of  the  different  departments  as 
soon  as  possible.    In  the  meantime  they  should  be  very 


Retail  Store  Training  273 

careful  not  to  give  directions  to  customers  unless  they 
are  certain  they  are  right.  It  is  better  to  say:  "I  will 
find  out." 

Personal  Many  customers  require  special  service 
Service  which  cannot  always  be  given  them  in  the 

department.  Such  customers  should  always 
be  referred  to  the  Personal  Service  Department  on  the 
first  balcony.  Some  of  the  things  that  are  done  by  the 
Personal  Service  are  the  following: 

A  Personal  Service  attendant  is  sent  through  the  store 
with  customers  who  live  out  of  town,  which  makes  it 
possible  for  them  to  shop  more  quickly  and  easily;  ex- 
perts are  sent  to  shop  with  customers  who  wish  advice 
as  to  their  purchases;  strangers  are  taken  through  the 
store;  merchandise  bought  in  the  store  is  wrapped  for 
mail  or  express;  information  is  given  on  almost  any 
subject;  lost  and  found  articles  are  cared  for;  theatre^ 
railroad  and  steamer  tickets  are  bought. 

Arguing  with  Salespeople  should  never  argue  with  a 
Customers  customer.      If   there    is    any    cause    for 

argument  the  Floor  Superintendent  must 
be  called  at  once. 

Becoming  When  a  salesperson  reaches  the  depart- 

Familiar  with  tnent  his  first  duty  is  to  become  familiar 
Merchandise  with  the  merchandise.  He  should  learn 
as  much  as  possible  about,  what  is  in 
stock,  the  prices,  sizes,  quahties,  and  any  other  points 
possible.  The  Floor  Superintendent,  Assistant  Buyer  or 
any  of  the  other  regular  employees  will  help  him  get 
this  information. 


274 


Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


Care  of  Stock 


stock. 


Each  salesperson  should  feel  respons- 
ible for  the  condition  of  his  particular 


Protecting  Salespeople    are    responsible   to   protect 

Merchandise      their  stock  against  theft.     They  should 
never  leave  merchandise  unguarded. 

Suggesting         Each  salesperson  should  feel  it  his  re- 
Other  sponsibility  to  suggest  other  departments 
Merchandise       where  the  same  kind  of  merchandise  is 
carried.    For  example,  the  Basement. 

Merchandise       Every  time  a  salesperson  has  a  call  for 
Calls  merchandise  that  we  either  do  not  carry 

or  are  out  of,  he  is  expected  to  record 
this  call  on  a  slip  that  is  given  him  for  that  purpose. 


Rules  Affecting 
Customers 

of  each  month. 


Three  day  ruling  for  return  of  mer- 
chandise for  credit  or  refund. 
Charges  are  billed  up  to  the  last  day 


The  Floor  Superintendent  is  the  head 
of  the  department  in  which  you  are 
stationed,  and  you  are  absolutely  re- 
sponsible to  him  for  everything  you  do. 


Floor 
Superintendent 


Sales  Ticket        You  are  responsible  for  putting  the  date 
and  number  on  each  sales  ticket. 


Retail  Store  Training  275 

Need  of  In  selling  in  a  store  with  which  he  is  not 

Accuracy        familiar,  the  salesperson  should  remember 
that  it  is  better  to  do  a  thing  right  then  to 
do  it  quickly.    If  a  mistake  is  made,  he  should  be  sure  to 
have  it  corrected  before  the  slip  goes  to  the  cashier. 

Counting  Back       The  salesperson  should  always  repeat 
Money  to  to  the  customer  the  amount  of  money 

Customer  handed  him.     In  giving  change  to  the 

customer  it  should  always  be  counted 
back  piece  by  piece. 

Suggest  a  Each  salesperson  should  feel  it  his  re- 

Shopping  Card       sponsibility    to    suggest    the    SHOP- 
PING CARD  with  each  sale.    In  this 
way  we  are  able  to  show  the  customer  we  are  interested 
in  helping  her  keep  down  her  delivery  charge. 

Quote  Right       Be  sure  and  quote  the  right  price  to  cus- 
Price  tomers  when  you  are  asked.     Prices  of 

articles  on  display  or  in  a  case  or  in  a 
window  are  listed  in  the  department. 

Sales  Check        In  addition  to  the  above,  write  so  that 
System  each  sales  check  can  be  easily  read.    Use 

clear  carbon  and  a  sharp  pencil.  Be 
sure  that  each  sale  is  accurate  as  far  as  name  and  address 
and  price  of  article  go.  Enter  amount  of  sale  on  sales 
record  in  back  of  book,  opposite  the  number  of  the  sales 
check.  In  the  case  of  a  part  paid  C.  O.  D.  make  two 
entries   on   sale   record,   the   amount   paid   in   the  paid 


276  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

column  and  the  amount  to  be  collected  in  the  C.  O.  D. 
or  charge  column. 

Use  of  The  salesperson  should  be  careful  that 

Tissue  Book       the  check  number  and  the  tissue  number 
are  the  same.    The  tissue  should  be  put 
on  top  of  the  carbon.     The  serial  number  of  the  sales 
book  should  be  put  on  the  front  cover  of  the  tissue  book. 

Erasing  The  salesperson  should  never  change  figures 

Slips  that    have    been    entered    in    the    space. 

AMOUNT  OF  SALE,  on  the  voucher.  If 
any  change  is  necessary  in  this  space  it  should  be  made 
by  the  Floor  Superintendent.  In  erasing  any  other  part 
of  the  slip,  the  salesperson  should  be  careful  to  remove 
the  carbon  and  erase  both  the  original  and  the  duplicate. 
She  should  always  be  sure  that  the  erased  slip  is  legible. 

Void  If  for  any  reason  the  slip  cannot  be  used,  it 

Slips  should  be  taken  to  the  Floor  Superintendent 

who  will  mark  it  VOID.  Void  slips  do  not 
count  against  the  salesperson,  but  it  is  a  very  serious 
thing  if  a  slip  is  destroyed. 

Keeping  The  salesperson's  voucher  should  be  kept 
Vouchers  for  one  week.  In  the  case  of  a  missing 
sale  it  is  his  protection.  It  may  be  kept 
under  the  tissue  book  in  the  back  covers  of  the  sales 
book. 


Retail  Store  Training  277 

Use  of  The  salesperson  should  be  careful  to  look 

Department       for  the  department  number  on  the  saleg 
Book  slip,  and  to  use  it  for  the  sales  made  in 

that  department  only.  In  some  depart- 
ments there  are  several  sections  called  by  different  letters. 
The  salesperson  can  tell  by  looking"  at  the  tag  on  the 
merchandise  what  section  the  merchandise  belongs  to. 
Sales  made  in  any  section  other  than  that  to  which  the 
book  is  marked  should  be  made  out  in  the  department 
book,  which  is  kept  at  the  cashier's  desk. 

Register         In  departments  where  a  register  is  used, 
System  the  salesbook  is  employed  for  making  out 

charge  sales,  part  paid  C.  O.  D.  and  em- 
ployees' purchases. 

Sales  That  Must    The  following  sales  must  be  approved 
be  Signed  by  by  the  Floor  Superintendent : 

the  Floor  A.     Extra  packages.    If  the  sale  is  to 

Superintendent  be  sent,  the  salesperson  should  write 
the  customer's  name  and  address  and 
valuation  on  the  outside  of  all  extra  packages.  If  the 
merchandise  is  taken  the  salesperson  should  write  his 
S.  P.  number  on  all  extra  parcels. 

B.  Charge-taken  sales.  The  salesperson  must  see  the 
coin.  It  is  not  enough  to  have  the  customer  tell  him 
the  number.  The  customer  must  be  identified  either  by 
coin  or  by  some  other  means.  Then  the  charge  must  be 
called  over  the  telephone  by  the  cashier. 

C.  Sales  charged  to  one  person  and  sent  to  another. 

D.  Discount  to  employees. 


278  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

E.  Special  Delivery.  The  salesperson  should  never 
promise  to  have  merchandise  sent  at  any  special  time 
without  consulting  the  Floor  Superintendent. 

F.  Sales  to  be  held  and  delivered  at  some  future  date. 
C.  O.  D.  merchandise  may  not  be  held  in  this  way  more 
than  48  hours. 

G.  Merchandise  taken  unwrapped  or  worn  by  cus- 
tomer. 

H.     Merchandise  to  be  sent  or  taken  with  the  tag  off. 

I.     Exchange  credit  or  refund. 

J.  Straight  C  O.  D.  (also  P.  P.  C.  O.  D.)  when 
amount  deposited  is  .less  than  10%. 

K.  Merchandise  sent  to  ALLOW  EXAMINATION. 
This  should  never  be  done  except  by  the  consent  of  the 
Floor  Superintendent. 

L.     Void  Slips. 


STORE   RULES   AND   INSTRUCTIONS 

For  Department  Siore  Employees 

This  chapter  contains,  in  alphabetical  order,  informa- 
tion of  value  to  employees,  and  rules  which  have  been 
found  necessary  in  department  stores.  These  regulations 
were  proposed  by  the  Management  of  Filene's  Depart- 
ment Store  of  Boston,  and  accepted  by  the  employees  of 
that  store  through  their  store  Council.  They  are,  there- 
fore, binding  on  all  who  work  there. 

Absences        Punctuality  and  regularity  of  attendance  on 
the  part  of  all  employees  are  necessary  for 
the  efficient  running  of  the  store. 


Retail  Store  Training  279 

It  is  a  rule  that  if  you  are  unavoidably  absent  or  de- 
tained, you  shall  at  once  notify  the  head  of  your  de- 
partment or  the  Employment  Office  by  telephone  or  in 
some  other  way,  in  order  that  they  may  arrange  to  have 
your  work  done.  If  you  know  in  advance  that  you  are 
to  be  absent,  you  should  notify  the  head  of  your  de- 
partment, who  will  make  the  necessary  arrangements. 

Employees  who  are  absent  two  weeks  or  more  shall  go 
to  the  Employment  Office  on  their  return  to  work,  in 
order  to  be  sure  that  they  are  entered  on  the  active  pay- 
roll. 

Advertisements  All  employees  who  come  in  contact 
with  customers  should  keep  in  close 
touch  with  the  store's  advertisements.  A  copy  of  the 
advertisement  for  the  day  will  be  sent  to  each  depart- 
ment and  employees  are  expected  to  become  familiar 
with  it. 

Borrowing  and  The  borrowing  or  lending  of  money 
Lending  Money  among  employees  should  be  discour- 
aged. 
Necessary  loans  can  usually  be  arranged  through  the 
Loan  Bureau.  This  is  more  businesslike  and  more  sat- 
isfactory in  every  way  than  borrowing  frojn  a  fellow 
employee. 

Correspondence     It  is  a  rule  that  all  written  communi- 
cations   to    customers    shall    be    sent 
through  the  Stenographic  Department. 

All  personal  mail  should  be  sent  to  the  employee's 
home  address  whenever  possible. 


280  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Deduction  Damage  to  merchandise  or  fixtures  will  be 
of  Salary  charged  against  the  employee  responsible, 
who  will  be  asked  to  sign  a  paper  author- 
izing the  deduction  of  the  amount  of  the  damage  from 
his  salary. 

Salespeople  will  be  held  responsible  for  missing  sales. 
For  this  reason,  it  is  a  rule  that  salespeople  must  keep 
vouchers  at  least  one  week. 

If  any  deduction  seems  unfair,  the  employee  may  ap- 
peal to  the  Arbitration  Board. 

Defacing  Walls,  It  is  a  rule  that  every  employee  shall 
Furniture  and  protect  the  walls,  furniture  and  fix- 
Fixtures  tures  from  any  damage  or  deface- 
ment, whether  by  himself  or  others. 
No  tacks,  pins  or  nails  of  any  kind  shall  be  driven  except 
in  bulletin  boards  or  other  places  especially  planned  for 
them. 

Deportment  Employees,  should  ask  friends  not  to 
visit  them  during  business  hours. 

In  the  presence  of  customers,  fellow  employees  should 
not  be  called  by  their  first  names. 

Employees  should  be  careful  to  avoid  loud  conversa- 
tion or  other  unnecessary  noise,  which  Is  likely  to  give 
a  bad  impression  to  customers. 

Whistling  or  singing  In  the  store,  where  customers  may 
be  annoyed  by  It,  should  be  avoided. 

Dress         It  is  a  rule  that  women  employees  engaged  in 
work  which  brings  them  under  the  direct  ob- 
servation of  customers  (for  example,  salespeople,  stock 


Retail  Store  Training  281 

people,  merchandise  and  floor  clerks)  shall  dress  in  black 
or  dark  blue  (preferably  dresses)  from  October  15th  to 
April  1st.  From  April  1st  to  October  15th,  they  shall 
dress  in  all  black  or  all  blue,  or  all  white,  or  in  black  or 
blue  skirts  and  white  waists.  White  collars  will  be 
allowed  on  dark  dresses.  Though  the  same  reason  for 
uniformity  in  dress  may  riot  exist  for  other  women  em- 
ployees, it  is  assumed  that  they  will  dress  without  osten- 
tation, and  from  October  15th  to  April  1st,  in  black  or 
dark  colors. 

White  waists  with  black  or  blue  skirts  may  be  worn 
in  the  Basement  throughout  the  year. 

These  rules  and  regulations  do  not  prevail  in  cases 
where  for  any  reason  another  style  of  dressing  may  be 
specified  by  the  management  as  desirable. 

Eating  While  It  is  a  rule  that  employees  shall  not 
on  Duty  eat,  chew  gum  or  use  tobacco  while  on 

duty. 

Leaving  the       Employees  are  not  to  leave  their  places 
Department       of  work,  during  business  hours,  without 
permission  from  the  executive  in  charge 
of  the  Department. 

Locker       Upon  entering  the  store  in  the  morning  em- 
Rooms       ployees    should    go    directly    to    the    locker 
rooms,  where  garments  are  to  be  left  in  their 
respective  lockers. 

It  is  a  rule  that  hats,  coats  and  packages  shall  not  be 
taken  to  the  department. 


28?  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Lost  and  Found     It  is  a  rule  that  all  articles,  including 
Articles  money  and  pocketbooks  found  in  the 

store  shall  be  taken  at  once  to  the 
head  of  the  department,  whose  duty  It  is  to  see  that 
everything  except  loose  money  is  sent  to  the  Personal 
Service  Bureau  in  the  Balcony.  Loose  money  is  to  be 
sent  to  the  Cash  Office.  The  name  of  the  finder  is  to  be 
given  to  the  office  with  all  found  articles,  and  after 
three  months  anything  unclaimed  will  be  returned  to  the 
finder. 

Lunch  Lunch  hours  will  be  arranged  in  each  depart- 
Hours  ment  and  the  schedule  posted.  It  is  important 
that  employees  be  familiar  with  this  schedule 
and  follow  it.  The  law  requires  that  no  female  em- 
ployee shall  work  more  than  six  consecutive  hours  with- 
out an  intermission. 

Matches    It  is  a  rule  that  employees  shall  not  bring  par- 
lor matches  or  loose  matches  into  the  store. 
Only  safety  matches  in  a  properly  protected  receptacle 
will  be  allowed. 

Overtime       Heads   of  departments  are  responsible  to 
see  that  rules  of  overtime  work  are  strictly 
followed.     These  rules  may  be  obtained  from  the  head 
of  the  Protection  Department. 

Packages       It  is  a  rule  that  all  packages  brought  into 

the  store  from  outside  shall  be  left  at  the 

Time  Desk.     The  attendant  at  the  Time  Desk  Entrance 

may  give  employees  permission  to  take  packages  into  the 


Retail  Store  Training  283 

store,  but  when  this  is  done  the  employee  must  have  a 
pass  from  the  head  of  the  department  before  the  pack- 
age can  be  taken  out  of  the  store. 

Packages  bought  in  the  store  must  have  the  Shipping 
Ticket  on  the  outside.  If  there  is  no  Shipping  Ticket, 
the  employee  must  secvire  from  the  head  of  the  depart- 
ment a  pass  for  the  package  before  it  can  be  taken  out 
of  the  store. 

Passes  It  is  a  rule  that  employees  shall  not  leave  the 
store  during  business  hours  (except  for 
kmcheon)  without  a  pass  from  the  head  of  the  depart- 
ment, which  pass  shall  be  countersigned  by  the  Time 
Desk  Keeper  and  held  by  him  on  file.  This  rule  does  not 
apply  to  buyers,  assistant  buyers,  and  other  executives. 
Employees  should  never  leave  their  department,  dur- 
ing business  hours,  without  a  pass  from  the  head  of  the 
department. 

Promotions  Promotions  are  made  wholly  on  a  basis 
of  efficient  work.  Employees  who  think 
that  they  merit  promotion  which  they  have  not  received 
may  request  it  either  of  the  head  of  the  department, 
of  the  Employment  Office,  or  directly  of  the  Store  Di- 
rector. The  question  of  promotion  may  also  be  brought 
before  the  Arbitration  Board. 

Reading  During  Reading  of  books,  magazines  and 
Store  Hours  papers,   other  than   those   relating  to 

store    business,    should    not    be    done 
during  business  Hours. 


284  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


Restaurant         Employees  who  wish  to  eat  in  the  Public 
Restaurant    must    be    dressed    for    the 
street. 

Salary  Salary  increases  may  be  recommended  by 

Increases       department   heads,   but   the   final   approval 
of  an  increase  in  salary  must  be  made  by 
the  Store  Director. 

Stock  Rooms      It  is  a  rule  that  no  one  except  depart- 
ment employees  shall  be  allowed  in  the 
Stock  Rooms. 

Use  of  Outside  calls  may  be  made  by  executives 

Telephone  only,  and  only  for  store  purposes.  If  out- 
side calls  are  made  for  any  other  reason 
the  operator  must  be  told  that  the  call  is  a  personal  one. 
Employees  may  be  called  to  the  telephone  but  should, 
as  far  as  possible,  avoid  any  use  of  the  telephone  for 
personal  purposes  whether  in  making  inside  calls  or  in 
being  called  to  the  telephone  by  friends. 

Transfers  Requests  for  transfers  from  one  depart- 
ment to  another  may  be  made  to  the  head 
of  the  department,  to  the  Employment  Office,  to  the 
Superintendent  in  case  of  a  selling  department,  or  directly 
to  the  Store  Director. 

Waiting         It  is  a  rule  that  employees  shall  not  use  the 
Rooms  waiting  room  and  shall  not  entertain  their 

friends  there.     The  stationery  in  the  writ- 
ing room  is  for  the  use  of  the  customers  only. 


Retail  Store  Training  285 

RULES  REGARDING  USE  OF  SALES-BOOKS 

L  Place  the  carbon  between  the  duplicate  part  of 
sales  check  and  the  tissue  sheet.  Be  sure  tissue  is  over 
carbon  before  beginning  to  write. 

2.  Write  distinctly  when  making  out  sales  check. 

3.  Never  alter  a  sales  check  without  approval  of  Floor 
Superintendent.     Never  destroy  a  sales  check. 

4.  Always  enter  a  sale  at  once  in  corresponding 
number  of  sales  record  in  back  of  book. 

5.  Be  sure  the  correct  department  is  printed  on  your 
book  before  making  out  a  sale. 

6.  Never  use  your  book  in  any  department  except 
your  own.  When  selling  in  any  other  department  always 
obtain  a  book  for  that  department  from  the  Floor  Super- 
intendent, or  the  Cashier. 

7.  Always  name  the  amount  of  money  received  from 
the  customer,  and  be  sure  to  count  back  the  change. 

8.  When  the  merchandise  and  sale  slip  are  put  in 
the  bundle  desk,  be  sure  to  get  back  at  once  the  Sales- 
person's A^oucher  properly  stamped  by  the  Cashier  as  a 
receipt,  and  hold  this  voucher  for  fifty-one  hours. 

9.  When  the  goods  are  to  be  sent,  write  the  name  and 
address  plainly  on  shipping  ticket  and  let  the  customer 
read  them  to  make  sure  that  they  are  correct. 

10.  Extra  bundles  must  be  counted,  examined  and 
properly  signed  for  on  sales  slip  before  customer  leaves 
store. 


286  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

11.  If  ther  customer  intends  to  purchase  in  other  de- 
partments, suggest  a  Shopping  Card.  Write  plainly  the 
words  "Other  Goods"  on  the  shipping  ticket  if  the  other 
purchases  have  already  been  made. 

12.  When  the  goods  are  paid  for  in  full  or  in  part 
and  are  not  to  leave  the  store,  do  not  make  a  sale.  The 
money  should  be  held  on  the  Advance  Payment  Book 
and  a  Deposit  Ticket  attached  to  the  merchandise. 

13.  When  goods  are  sold  to  employees  at  a  discount, 
a  Retail  Loss  Slip  must  be  made  out. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


Management  Problems 

For  the  Store     The  following  excerpt  from  a  report  in 
Manager  System  Magazine  by  a  nationally  known 

department  store  executive  is  worthy  of 
your  close  and  carefiil  study: 

Letting  the  business  guide  me  has  revealed  certain 
rules  that  sway  purchases,  for  there  are  some  rules  of 
customer  action — call  it  psychology  back  of  them  if  you 
prefer — ^which  I  have  found  generally  hold  true  with 
the  great  number  of  shoppers  I  have  observed.  They 
hold  true,  too,  with  the  whole  body  of  customers  in  our 
store.  For  they  have  increased  profits  as  soon  as  we 
have  put  them  to  work  in  the  store.  I  shall  tell  how,  in 
detail,  a  little  further  along.     Here  they  are: 

1.  Customers  examine  more  merchandise  and  pur- 
chase more  when  they  are  not  bothered  by  salespeople 
urging  them  to  buy. 

2.  Customers  handle  merchandise  more  freely  when 
it  is  displayed  on  tables  than  when  it  is  on  counters. 

3.  Customers  buy  more  if  they  see  crowds  inside 
the  door  just  as  soon  as  they  come  in. 

4.  Customers  make  the  rest  of  their  purchases  in 
quick  succession  after  they  have  broken  the  ice  by  the 
first  "buy." 

5.  Customers  penetrate  farther  into  the  store  when 
oblong  display  tables  are  used  than  when  round  tables 
are  used. 

•     287 


288  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

6.  Women  customers  can  be  attracted  to  a  depart- 
ment— if  the  plan  is  not  used  too  many  places  on  the 
floor — by  mirrors  hung  there  so  that  they  can  use  them. 

7.  Customers  pay  considerable  attention  to  bulletins 
which  are  posted  daily  in  a  designated  place. 

8.  People  like  to  see  moving  contrivances,  to  look 
behind  the  scenes,  and  "see  the  wheels  move." 

9.  When  you  want  action,  you  can  get  it  more  quickly 
through  children  than  through  adults. 

10.  Doing  things  in  ways  just  a  little  out  of  the 
ordinary  usually  gets  results  just  a  little  out  of  the 
ordinary. 

All  of  these  important  basic  facts  I  have  learned  by 
getting  so  close  to  my  business  that  it  runs  me.  A  few 
details  will  demonstrate  how  useful  these  facts  really  are. 

A  great  many  times  I  have  observed  how  much  more 
readily  customers  examine  merchandise  when  no  sales- 
person is  waiting  to  make  the  sale.  Here  is  the  way  we 
have  put  this  particular  fact  to  work.  When  we  display 
merchandise  on  tables,  for  instance,  we  place  two  girls 
in  charge  of  perhaps  five  tables.  Customers  look  at  the 
merchandise  freely.  And  we  sell  more  off  those  five 
tables  than  we  would  sell  if  we  had  twice  as  many  girls 
there  to  assist  customers.  We  have  proved  it  by  actual 
experiments. 

I  have  kept  a  record  covering  a  good  many  of  my 
expeditions  in  following  customers.  When  I  had  aver- 
aged up  three  months'  figures  covering  every  department 


Management  Problems  289 

in  the  store,  I  found  that,  for  example,  a  shopper  handles 
twenty  pieces  in  a  jewelry  department  well  supplied  with 
salespeople;  but  she  will  handle  five  pieces  more  in  that 
same  department  if  she  is  allowed  to  browse.  Her  pur- 
chases will  average  $1.81  in  the  department  where  she 
gets  good  service,  but  the  figure  will  be  $2.45  if  she  is 
permitted  to  hunt  around  by  herself  until  she  has  found 
just  what  she  wants. 

Department  There  are  many  problems  to  be  solved 
Store  in    the    department    store.      The    labor 

Problems  turn-over  is  much  too  great.     Very  few 

people  in  the  department  store  have  a 
professional  attitude  toward  their  work.  They  look  upon 
it  merely  as  a  job.  One  department  store  superintendent 
said :  "Ninety  per  cent  of  the  people  in  this  store  think 
of  nothing  but  Saturday  night  and  the  pay  envelope. 
They  are  not  interested  in  salesmanship.  They  are  not 
interested  in  the  goods  they  sell,  the  people  they  sell  to 
or  their  own  future.  They  have  no  purpose  in  life. 
They  drift  in  here  and  from  here  to  some  place  else." 
The  one  great  fundamental  criticism  of  department  store 
employees  is:  "They  are  not  interested  in  their  work." 
They  are  not  interested  because  they  lack  purpose  in  life. 
Such  people  have  never  planned  a  career.  They  simply 
exist  from  day  to  day. 

Importance  Such  people  do  not  want  to  study  sales- 
cf  Training  manship.  They  see  no  reason  for  it. 
They  see  no  reason  for  anything.  They 
are  not  living  a  reasoning  existence.  Education  can  do 
much  for  them.     But  that  education  should  have  begun 


290  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


when  they  were  still  in  school.  They  must  be  given  a 
purpose  in  life.  They  must  be  taught  to  serve  human- 
ity intelligently  and  efficiently.  Millions  of  people  have 
not  been  taught  this  lesson.  Apparently  many  schools 
have  not  known  how  to  do  it.  At  least  they  have  not 
done  it. 


The  Pay         The  student  must  learn  that  a  pay  check  is 
Check  the  effect,  not  the  cause,  just  as  heat  is  the 

effect  of  fire,  not  the  cause  of  it.  A  pay 
check  is  the  result  of  service  rendered.  How  big  that 
check  IS  depends  upon  the  kind  or  value  of  service  ren- 
dered. Many  young  people  do  not  realize  this.  Go  into 
almost  any  department  store  and  watch  people  come  in. 
Clerks  are  standing  idly  by.  Do  they  immediately  pro- 
ceed to  wait  on  those  people?  Many  of  them  do  not. 
Some  of  them  do.  Many  of  them  seem  to  have  no 
interest  whatsoever  In  their  work.  Those  who  do, 
advance  rapidly. 

Two  things  are  being  done  to  overcome  this.  One  of 
them  is  the  bonus,  or  plainly  speaking  it  is  a  commission 
paid  In  addition  to  salary.  The  other  is  the  study  of 
salesmanship.  This  means  the  study  of  the  goods  and 
how  to  interest  people  in  them,  how  to  analyze  them,  and 
Intelligently,  kindly  and  courteously  present  to  the  pros- 
pective customer  the  advantages  of  the  goods.  It  con- 
sists In  giving  expert  advice  about  the  article,  whether 
that  article  be  pins  or  pianos,  hats  or  handkerchiefs, 
shoes  or  shotguns. 


Manageinient  Problems  291 

A  Model  One  of  the  most  effective  methods   of 

Selling  Talk  doing  this  is  through  the  demonstration 
sale.  We  have  found  in  all  lines  of 
salesmanship  that  the  ability  to  create  a  model  selling 
talk  is  a  practical  impossibility  without  a  great  deal  of 
training,  besides  study  of  other  selling  talks.  Creating 
a  first  class  selling  talk  Is  just  as  high  an  art  as  creating 
a  first  class  piece  of  literature.  It  requires  a  knowledge 
of  goods,  a  knowledge  of  their  use,  a  knowledge  of 
style,  a  knowledge  of  psychology,  a  knowledge  of  human 
nature  and  how  to  handle  It — and  this  means  a  knowl- 
edge of  psychological  strategy.  It  means  a  knowledge 
of  mental  action  and  reaction,  a  knowledge  of  logic,  a 
knowledge  of  English  and  how  to  use  It,  a  knowledge  of 
how  to  present  facts  at  the  right  time  and  In  the  right 
way,  and  a  knowledge  of  just  how  and  when  to  appeal 
to  the  emotions.  In  addition  to  this,  the  salesperson  must 
have  a  developed  personality. 

Selling  Many    stores    have    weekly    demonstration 

Strategy  sales  made  before  their  classes  in  salesman- 
ship. This  Is  particularly  true  of  Marshall 
Field  &  Company,  but  very  few  of  them  have  written 
out  and  studied  anything.  This  Is  a  great  mistake,  as 
retail  selling  talks  should  be  carefully  studied  and 
analyzed  by  salespeople,  not  with  the  Idea  of  committing 
them  to  memory,  but  with  the  idea  of  profiting  by  the 
strategy  used.  Every  such  talk  embodies  some  of  the 
fundamental  principles  of  selling  strategy,  and  the 
methods  necessary  to  be  used,  just  as  every  good  oration 
embodies  the  fundamental  principles  of  oratory.  Every 
student  of  oratory  is  not  only  asked  to  study  great  models 


292  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

of  oratory,  but  to  commit  them  to  memory,  in  order  that 
his  mind  may  unconsciously  absorb  the  principles  and 
the  art  of  applying  them.  This  principle  is  not  under- 
stood, by  most  salesmen,  and  by  some  teachers  of  sales- 
manship, who  have  paid  attention  largely  to  the  art  of 
selling  without  going  deeply  into  the  psychological  prin- 
ciples governing  the  action  of  the  mind. 

Demonstrations  Demonstration  work  in  retail  sales- 
manship is  much  behind  such  work  in 
specialty  salesmanship,  because  retail  goods  are  easier 
to  sell.  In  fact,  most  retail  goods  are  not  sold  at  all. 
They  are  bought  by  people  who  decided  to  get  them 
before  they  entered  the  store.  This  was  not  true  at  first 
of  the  adding  machine,  typewriter,  suction  sweeper  and 
other  prominent  specialty  articles.  People  had  been 
getting  along  without  them  and  they  continued  so  to  get 
along,  until  they  were  convinced  by  the  strongest  kind 
of  evidence,  arranged  and  presented  in  the  most  convinc- 
ing kind  of  a  selling  talk,  that  it  was  highly  to  their 
advantage  to  make  use  of  the  new  invention.  Such  a 
selling  talk  never  has  been  and  never  will  be  worked  out 
by  ordinary  untrained  salesmen.  It  is  just  as  unreason- 
able to  expect  it  as  it  is  to  expect  such  untrained  sales- 
people to  write  high  grade  books.  It  never  has  been 
done  and  it  never  will  be  done  because  they  lack  the 
training  required,  to  say  nothing  about  the  ability  neces- 
sary to  do  it. 


PART  IV 

Efficient  and  Inefficient  Selling 
Methods 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

Analysis  of  Sales 

Illustrations       One  day  I  walked  into  a  city  store  for 
from  the   purpose   of   listening  to  a  vacuum 

Experience  cleaner  demonstration.  The  salesman 
made  a  mistake  in  the  beginning  by  not 
asking  for  my  name  and  address.  If  he  had,  of  course, 
I  would  have  told  him  I  did  not  even  live  in  that  city. 
He  gave  a  convincing  demonstration,  but  it  contained  no 
selling  strategy. 

When  he  came  to  the  place  where  I  naturally  would 
have  asked  for  the  price,  I  failed  to  respond,  and  he  did 
not  know  what  to  do.    He  simply  kept  on  talking. 

A  good  deal  of  what  he  said  was  trivial  and  irrelevant. 
He  did  not  know  what  else  to  do.  All  he  thought  about 
was  the  machine.  It  did  not  occur  to  him  that  the  thing 
I  might  be  interested  in  was  the  home  where  the  cleaner 
would  be  used.  Finally  I  asked  him  if  he  had  ever  stud- 
ied Salesmanship.  He  replied:  **No,"  and  explained 
that  he  was  an  engineer  who  had  changed  over  to  Sales- 
manship two  years  before,  but  had  received  no  definite 
training.  His  description  of  the  machine  was  devoid  of 
selling  strategy,  without  which,  success  in  Salesmanship 
is  impossible. 

293 


894  Science  and  .Art  of  Selling 

Chamber  of        A  Chamber  of  Commerce,  which  was  sit- 
Commerce  uated  near   a   city   of   several   hundred 

Investigation  thousand,  asked  for  an  investigator  •  to 
come  to  their  city,  visit  all  the  stores,  and 
then  make  a  report  of  their  selling  inefficiency  or  effici- 
ency before  the  members  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
in  a  closed  meeting.  It  was  the  last  week  in  October  and 
the  first  place  the  investigator  went  early  in  the  morning 
was  the  Post  Office  and  from  there  to  the  different 
stores.  He  found  that  the  Post  Office  delivered  more 
goods  that  morning  than  all  the  stores  in  the  city.  They 
came  from  the  nearby  city  and  the  mail  order  houses. 

The  first  store  he  entered  was  a  clothing  store.  He 
tried  on  a  pair  of  kid  gloves,  then  took  them  off  saying 
to  the  clerk:  "It  is  a  little  too  early  this  fall  to  buy 
gloves."  The  clerk  responded :  "Yes,  it  is  a  little  early," 
and  lost  a  sale.  He  went  to  the  largest  store  in  the  city. 
At  the  first  counter  nobody  saw  him.  At  the  second 
counter  he  was  not  noticed,  although  the  clerks'  were  idle. 
They  had  eyes  and  ears,  but  they  neither  saw  nor  heard. 
At  the  third  counter  tlie  investigator  asked  the  sales- 
woman: "What  is  the  price  of  this  article?"  She  re- 
sponded: "Fifty  cents,"  and  then  turning  to  another 
clerk  inquired:  "That's  right,  isn't  it,  Alary?"  Mary 
replied:  "No,  the  price  is  $1.25,"  and  yet  that  Depart- 
ment Store  was  wondering  why  it  was  not  getting  busi- 
ness. 

Why  Women     After  visiting  all  the  leading  stores  the 

Buy  investigator  called  at  forty  private  homes 

and  asked  the  women  where  they  bought 

their  goods,   and  why.     One  housewife  explained  that 


Analysis  of  Sales  295 

she  bought  most  of  her  goods  out  of  town,  because  of 
the  indifference  on  the  part  of  the  clerks  in  the  local 
stores.  Another  one  said  she  did  not  trade  at  home  be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  interest  and  discourtesy  of  the  sales- 
people. A  high  school  teacher  said  she  had  lived  in  that 
city  six  years,  but  had  never  bought  a  pair  of  shoes 
there.  She  was  asked  if  she  did  not  believe  in  patroniz- 
ing home  industry.  She  replied:  "Oh,  yes,"  but  every 
time  she  wanted  a  pair  of  shoes,  she  visited  all  the  stores 
in  the  city  and  never  found  a  pair  to  fit,  and  no  effort 
was  made,  either  then  or  later,  to  supply  her  need.  Con- 
sequently she  was  obliged  to  buy  her  shoes  from  the 
nearby  city.  The  investigator  also  learned  that  more 
shoes  of  a  certain  kind  were  bought  in  the  larger  city 
by  the  people  of  the  smaller  city,  than  were  sold  in  all 
the  local  stores.  They  failed  to  patronize  home  industry 
because  of  the  inefficiency  of  the  sales  force. 

Everybody  Has  The  student  should  realize  that  every- 
Something  body  has  something  to  sell,  whether 

to  Sell  he  be  doctor,  lawyer,  teacher,  preacher 

or  merchant,  and  no  matter  what  one's 
business  or  profession  is  he  should  know  exactly  what  it 
is  he  has  to  offer,  and  where  to  find  the  best  market.  He 
should  make  a  constant  study  of  human  nature. 

A  sick  man  was  sent  to  a  certain  physician  by  one  of 
his  friends.  After  examining  him  the  physician  said: 
"Yes,  I  can  help  you,  but  I  will  have  to  experiment  for 
some  time  to  find  out  which  medicine  will  do  30U  the 
most  good."  The  word  "experiment"  lost  a  patient  for 
that  doctor.  The  patient  retorted:  "The  doctors  have 
been  experimenting  upon  me  for  years  and  I  want  no 


39G  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

more  of  it."  This  man  had  stomach  and  Uver  trouble. 
The  doctor  should  have  said:  "You  have  stomach  and 
liver  trouble  and  we  will  have  to  treat  you  for  the  one, 
and  then  change  medicines  and  treat  you  for  the  other 
until  we  find  the  best  method  of  treatment." 

A  surgeon  examined  a  boy  and  in  his  presence  an- 
nounced that  the  patient  would  have  to  be  operated 
upon.  The  little  fellow  screamed.  He  feared  that  he 
was  going  to  be  butchered.  AVhen  the  operation  was 
performed,  the  doctor  was  warned  that  under  no  cir- 
cumstances should  he  make  mention  of  the  boy's 
trouble  in  the  presence  of  the  boy  himself. 

A  young  working  woman  came  into  the  office  of  an 
eye  specialist.  She  had  her  eyes  tested,  glasses  were 
agreed  upon  and  she  finally  decided  to  buy  a  very  ex- 
pensive pair.  The  total  cost  was  so  great  that  the  doctor 
felt  that  the  girl  would  be  dissatisfied  later,  and  he  per- 
suaded her  to  buy  cheaper  glasses,  as  he  considered 
that  better  salesmanship. 

A  salesman  who  was  selling  a  business  book  said  to 
his  prospect :  *'Now,  if  you  are  in  the  market  for  a  book 
like  this,  etc."  Every  business  man  is  in  the  market  for 
such  a  book,  and  he  killed  the  possibility  of  a  sale  by 
making  that  statement.  Many  specialty  salesmen  ask 
the  prospect  if  it  would  be  possible  to  get  a  certain 
amount  of  his  time  when  he  ought  to  know  by  the  situa- 
tion and  circumstances  that  the  prospect  has  plenty  of 
time.  Such  a  statement  is  practically  an  apology.  It 
puts  the  salesman  on  the  defensive  and  makes  him  nega- 
tive and  apologetic,  instead  of  positive  and  aggressive.   . 

We  quote  the  following  splendid  illustrations  from  Mr. 
George  Pryor  Irwin,  formerly  Lecturer  on  Retail  Selling 


Analysis  of  Sales  297 


and  Store  Management,  Extension  Division,  University 
of  Wisconsin: 

One  day  I  went  into  a  store  in  response  to  a  shirt  ad- 
vertisement of  a  well-known  brand  which  I  favored.  I 
carried  the  money  with  which  to  purchase  the  shirts  and 
all  that  the  organization  had  to  do,  was  to  let  me  have 
them.  I  approached  the  salesman  who  was  employed  to 
represent  that  concern.  This  was  approximately  the 
conversation : 

"Good  morning,  sir.     Do  you  want  something?" 

I  felt  like  saying,  "No,  I  thought  this  was  a  summer 
resort."  Did  I  want  something?  What  are  stores  built 
for?  What  do  people  go  into  stores  for?  I  was  very 
anxious  to  get  these  shirts,  because  they  were  advertised 
at  a  remarkably  low"  price,  so  I  was  persistent.    I  said : 

"Yes,  I  would  like  to  have  some  of  a  certain  brand  of 
shirts  that  I  saw  advertised." 

"What  kind  of  a  shirt  was  it  you  wanted?" 

"One  advertised  last  night." 

"Wait  a  minute,"  he  said,  and  called  to  someone. 
"Say,  Bill,  did  we  have  some  shirts  advertised." 

"Sure." 

"What  kind  were  they?" 

"So  and  so." 

"Where  are  they?" 

"I  think  they  are  over  there  just  to  your  right." 

The  fellow  came  back,  looked  over  just  to  the  right 
and  exclaimed :     "No,  they  are  not  here." 

"Well  if  they  are  not  there  they  are  on  the  other  side. 
I  know  we  had  some  of  them." 


298  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

I  thought  there  must  be  a  wonderful  staff  in  this  es- 
tablishment when  the  people  who  are  selling*  did  not 
know  where  to  find  the  merchandise  they  were  advertis- 
ing. 

The  advertisement  was  100%  efficient  in  that  case,  and 
because  the  salesman  didn't  know  how  to  complete  the 
transaction,  there  was  a  lost  expenditure,  but  it  was  not 
the  fault  of  the  advertisement,  however. 

There  is  nothing  more  important  to  you  in  your  or- 
ganization, if  you  are  dealing  with  selHng  merchandise, 
than  the  salesman  himself.  If  the  sales  are  slow;  if  the 
merchandise  does  not  move,  if  you  do  not  turn  over 
stock  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  make  money,  then  your 
store  is  not  going  to  prosper.  You  may  be  the  wisest 
buyer  In  the  country.  You  may  be  buying  the  most 
splendid  merchandise  possible  to  purchase  on  the  Ameri- 
can continent  or  abroad,  but  if  you  put  it  on  your  shelves 
in  your  store;  if  you  just  let  it  be  (as  we  term  in  mer- 
chandise circles)  "A  good  keeper,"  you  will  never  get 
wealthy.  You  have  to  sell  it  to  get  your  profit..  You 
are  primarily  concerned  not  only  with  the  entire  pro- 
gramme of  selling,  but  it  is  your  duty  to  know  how  to 
develop  each  individual  in  your  institution  into  a  good 
salesman  or  a  good  saleswoman.  And  why  not?  The 
prosperity  of  your  business  rests  entirely  with  the  sales- 
people you  employ.  There  was  a  wonderful  merchant 
who  had  advanced  from  a  small  store  to  a  larger  one, 
and  then  on  to  a  mammoth  concern  with  many  depart- 
ments. He  became  a  great  merchant  because  he  knew 
what  he  was  doing.  One  day  he  discovered  that  his 
glove  department  was  a  losing  proposition.  He  started 
out  to  do  something  to  change  that  condition  of  affairs. 


Analysis  of  Sales  299 

Acting  on  the  first  Impulse  that  came  to  him,  this  mer- 
chant discharged  his  glove  buyer,  because  he  reasoned 
the  merchandise  must  be  wrong.  He  disposed  of  the 
merchandise  on  hand  and  went  to  a  distant  city  where 
he  employed  a  new  buyer  at  a  very  much  larger  salary. 
He  sent  his  buyer  abroad  with  instructions  to  search  the 
markets  and  to  bring  back  a  stock  that  would  be  beyond 
competition.  The  new  man  visited  France,  and  came  out 
with  what  he  thought  was  a  wonderfully  salable  collec- 
tion of  merchandise.  He  passed  his  enthusiasm  on  to  the 
proprietor  of  the  store,  who  purchased  some  splendid  new 
fixtures  to  make  this  department  unusually  attractive. 
The  merchant  then  called  in  the  advertising  man,  and 
said  to  him: 

"We  have  here  a  remarkable  collection  of  gloves. 
Every  woman  within  the  range  of  our  store  should  know 
of  these  goods.  They  probably  have  been  disappointed 
with  some  of  our  other  offerings,  and  they  should  share 
in  our  good  fortune  in  obtaining  this  line." 

Proprietor  So  they  spent  large  sums  of  money  to 

Investigates  advertise  that  store  and  those  gloves. 
Methods  Then  the  time  arrived  to  begin  the  sale. 

On  the  morning  of  this  day,  the  propri- 
etor stood  on  a  balcony  overlooking  the  store.  He  saw 
a  customer  come  in  at  the  front  door,  walk  down  the 
aisle,  cross  over  another  aisle  and  head  directly  for  the 
glove  department.  She  spoke  to  the  salesgirl,  and  here 
is  what  the  merchant  overheard : 


300  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Poor  "I  saw  your  advertisement  about  gloves. 

Salesmanship     I  would  like  to  see  some." 

The  young  woman  in  charge  replied,  as 
she  laid  them  out:  "Yes,  madam,  those  are  a  dollar; 
those  a  dollar  and  a  half,  and  those  two  dollars." 

"My,  they  are  not  the  same  gloves  I  used  to  buy; 
haven't  you  any  left?" 

"No,  we  do  not  carry  them  any  more." 

"Why  did  you  change?  I  found  the  others  very  sat- 
isfactory.   I  do  not  know  anything  about  these  gloves." 

"I  don't  know ;  the  boss  said  he  was  not  going  to  carry 
any  more  of  the  old  kind." 

"Aren't  these  gloves  rather  expensive,  comparatively 
speaking?" 

"Well,  I  have  thought  so  myself,  about  some  of  them," 
asserted  the  girl. 

"What  is  the  advantage  of  these  particular  gloves, 
which  cost  a  dollar  or  two  more  than  the  ones  I  have 
been  getting?" 

"I  do  not  know.     It  does  look  like  a  lot  of  money." 

"I  am  not  very  familiar  with  these.  I  think  I  will  look 
around  at  the  other  departments.  Thank  you  very  much 
for  showing  them  to  me.     Good-day." 

Importance         No  sale.    The  proprietor  did  some  hard 
of  Retail  thinking.     Later  he  went  to  some  of  his 

Clerk  associates   with   the   declaration:     "We 

have  been  looking  at  the  wrong  end.  We 
have  offered  imported  goods  at  great  expense,  and  when 
they  were  put  on  sale  everything  depended  upon  'Eight 
Dollar  Annie' — as  he  called  her — and  'Eight  Dollar 
Annie'  has  fallen  down.    We  started  at  the  wrong  end. 


Analysis  of  Sales  301 


Now  we  are  going  to  make  Annie  a  representative  of 
this  concern,  and  maybe  we  will  sell  the  merchandise 
and  some  of  this  other  expense  won't  be  so  necessary." 

Another  merchant  made  an  investigation  to  see  how 
salespeople  succeed  in  arousing  interest.  He  stood  in  his 
store  one  morning  and  watched  his  clerks  in  action. 

A  woman  walked  up  to  a  girl  and  asked : 

"Do  you  handle  ladies'  handbags  ?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied. 

"I  would  like  to  see  some." 

"All  right.  This  one  is  a  dollar ;  this  one  a  dollar  and 
a  half." 

She  responded  mechanically,  pointing  to  bags  of  vari- 
ous prices. 

In  discussing  the  matter  the  merchant  said :  "I  stood 
and  watched  the  transaction.  The  customer  received  ab- 
solutely no  information  regarding  those  handbags.  I  said 
to  myself,  *We  have  a  vending  machine  here:  you  can 
set  up  a  box  and  put  a  penny  in  and  get  the  thing  you 
came  for,  without  any  information.    We  are  all  wrong.'  " 

Training  As  an  experiment,  I  took  that  same  young 
the  Clerk  lady  to  the  man  in  the  institution  who  was 
responsible  for  the  purchase  of  that  par- 
ticular line  of  goods.  I  said  to  him,  "You  are  never  going 
to  dispose  of  those  wares  so  long  as  you  put  people  out 
there  who  do  not  know  how  to  sell.  Until  you  employ 
salespeople  who  can  talk  hit elli gently,  there  will  not  be 
any  speeding  up  in  that  department." 

"How  would  you  do  it?" 

"This  way:  Go  into  the  office  and  tell  the  girl  every- 
thing you  know  about  handbags,  but  don't  talk  in  tech- 


302  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

nical  terms.  Don't  tell  her  how  many  revolutions  the 
machine  makes  in  producing  a  bag.  Tell  her  what  it  will 
do  for  the  customer. 

"I  wanted  to  make  an  experiment  and  kept  track  of 
that  girl's  sales.  She  sold  forty  per  cent  more  than  the 
others.  Pretty  soon,  customers  began  to  ask  her  ques- 
tions because  they  found  that  she  knew  something  about 
the  merchandise. 

Store  "We  began  to  have  meetings  in  the  store 

Meetings  and  got  the  people  together.  The  man  who 
bought  the  shoes  told  them  all  the  necessary 
things  people  ought  to  know  (not  the  technical  terms), 
but  just  what  would  do  for  the  customer,  what  they 
might  expect  in  the  way  of  service  and  just  why  a  par- 
ticular construction  was  a  little  bit  better  than  others. 
We  did  not  require  them  to  know  the  technicalities  at 
all,  but  we  did  ask  them  to  study  what  was  of  interest 
to  the  customer.  Instead  of  pointing  at  a  chair — if  we 
were  selling  chairs — and  saying:  'That  is  a  good  chair,' 
we  taught  them  to  say :  That  is  a  good  chair  because  it 
is  made  of  oak.'  Instead  of  saying:  'That  is  a  nice 
shoe,*  we  taught  them  to  point  out  what  it  was  that  made 
it  nice.  Instead  of  saying:  'That  is  going  to  wear  a  long 
time,'  we  taught  them  to  say:  'You  will  get  a  lot  of 
service  out  of  that  because  it  is  made  of  a  particular  kind 
of  leather,  in  a  certain  way.'  We  found  out  there  was 
no  kind  of  merchandise  that  did  not  have  some  talking 
points." 


Analysis  of  Sales  303 

Creating         To  the  extent  that  you  create  a  desire  for 
Desire  your  commodity,  will  your  sales  increase. 

I  might  attach  a  vending  box  machine  to 
the  wall,  drop  a  penny  in  the  box,  push  a  lever,  and  ob- 
tain some  article  out  of  it  without  saying  anything.  That 
is  not  creating  a  demand.  That  is  not  selling.  The  big 
idea  back  of  all  salesmanship  is  to  ask:  "How  can  I 
make  larger  sales,  how  can  I  sell  more,  how  can  I  sell 
this  article  that  is  not  moving,  how  may  I  educate  people 
to  the  use  of  new  products  that  come  into  my  store." 
Show  me  a  salesman  in  any  line  who  has  not  yet  realized 
that  a  salesman  should  be  an  educator,  and  I  will  show 
you  one  who  has  not  reached  the  success  he  ought  to 
have.  It  is  the  duty  of  a  merchant  to  his  community,  to 
say  nothing  of  his  duty  to. himself,  to  keep  his  customers 
in  touch  with  the  progress  of  the  age  by  suggesting  the 
new  things ;  by  stocking  his  store  with  products  that  will 
render  service  and  then  telling  people  how  these  things 
will  serve  them.  Only  by  being  an  educator,  is  he  doing 
what  he  should  do  to  justify  his  existence — that  of  serv- 
ing the  people  of  his  community  by  becoming  an  expert 
buyer  for  them.  Much  depends  on  the  way  you  look  at 
things.  You  may  say:  "Not  many  people  came  down 
this  morning.  Business  was  'rotten.'  "  Or  you  may  put 
it  this  way :  "Well,  it  is  too  bad ;  we  had  a  dull  day,  and 
the  boss  did  not  do  much  with  the  overhead  expenses 
going  on  all  the  time;  and  so  to-morrow  I  must  think  of 
some  plan  to  increase  sales,  and  make  up  for  the  slump." 


304  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

When  New  When  new  products  come  in  such  a 
Products  salesman  does  not  put  them  on  the  shelf. 

Come  In  but  he  begins   to  think  how   customers 

can  use  them.  He  asks  himself :  "How 
can  I  display  them  so  people  will  be  interested?"  "What 
can  I  say  that  will  attract  buyers  ?" 

A  year  ago  I  was  in  a  Wisconsin  city  conferring  with 
a  body  of  forty-two  men  and  women  who  had  come  to- 
gether to  study  business.  Among  them  was  a  }^oung 
man  who  had  saved  a  little  money  and  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business.  He  attended  the  gatherings  steadily 
and  did  his  utmost  to  learn.  A  week  later  while  I  was  in 
the  town  I  visited  the  editor  of  a  local  paper  to  talk  over 
some  matters  with  him.  While  there,  the  young  grocer 
came  in  with  a  sheet  of  paper  in  his  hand.  Addressing 
me  he  asked:     "Say,  are  you  studying  advertising''"' 

"Yes/'  I  replied,  "I  am  trying  to  find  out  all  I  can. 

I  am  going  to  put  this  little  advertisement  in  the 
paper  to-morrow."  He  continued,  "It  costs  money  to  ad- 
vertise.    I  would  like  to  know  what  you  think  of  it." 

I  looked  at  it  and  smiled.  "You  want  me  to  look  at 
it  ?"  I  asked.    "Do  you  want  me  to  tell  you  it  is  fine  ?" 

Advertising  I  am  one  of  the  people  who  is  serving 
Counsel  the  public,  and  I  have  found  out  that  it 

is  not  always  wise  to  say  what  you  think. 
I  told  him  I  would  look  it  over  with  the  understanding 
that  he  would  allow  me  to  tell  him  what  I  thought  of  it. 
"In  the  first  place,"  I  began,  "I  am  not  an  authority  on 
anything  in  the  world.  Secondly,  you  are  under  no  obli- 
gation to  use  any  idea  I  suggest.    Thirdly,  I  will  be  just 


Analysis  of  Sales  305 


as  much  your  friend  if  you  tear  up  my  suggestion  and 
say  it  is  absolutely  no  good." 

The  "All  right." 

Original          The  advertisement  read  something  like  this : 

Ad  "John    Smith,    Grocer,    17    Main    Street. 

Oranges,  35  cents  a  dozen.    Give  us  a  call. 

We  appreciate  your  patronage." 

He  asked:    "What  do  you  think  about  it?" 

I    hesitated    a    moment,    for    he    v^as    a   pretty   good 

fellow.     "I  would  hate  to  tell  you,"  was  my  response. 

"I  will  put  my  idea  on  the  other  side  of  the  sheet,  and 

you  can  do  what  you  like.     Tear  it  up  if  you  think  it 

worthless." 
"Go  ahead." 

The  I  started  out  like  this :    "Seven  A.  M.    Just 

Revised  came  downstairs.     Have  no  appetite,  and  it 

Ad  is  a  blue  morning " 

He  looked  very  much  bewildered. 

'''Seven-thirty.  I  am  feeling  better  now."  By  this 
time  he  was  sure  of  my  insanity,  judging  from  the  way 
he  stared. 

Then  I  went  on:  "J^st  went  into  the  dining  room; 
had  no  appetite;  wife  had  a  big  Florida  orange  cut  in 
half.    Found  it  was  not  such  a  bad  mornin;;  after  all." 

"Go  on." 

"You,  Mrs.  Housewife!  Do  you  desire  to  give  your 
husband  a  delightful  surprise?  We  have  received 
another  shipment  of  these  splendid  juicy  oranges.  If 
ordering,  include  a  few.  They  are  reasonable  in  price 
and  tempting  to  your  entire  family." 


30G  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

The  "Will  you  run  that  ?"  I  asked.    It  occupied  ex- 

Results  actly  the  same  amount  of  space  as  the  one  he 
had  written.  "Yes,"  he  replied  without  com- 
ment. 

Next  week  I  met  him  at  his  front  door,  and  he  called 
me  in. 

"Well,"  he  exclaimed,  "I  will  give  it  to  you." 

"You  don't  need  to  give  me  anything.  What  is  the 
trouble?" 

"More  oranges  went  out  this  week  than  during  any- 
time in  the  history  of  the  store." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  Did  you  run  the  advertise- 
ment?" 

"Yes.    How  much  do  I  owe  you?" 

"You  don't  owe  me  anything.  Any  man  who  is  en- 
gaged in  selling  should  know  the  difference  between 
saying:  "If  you  must  have  a  thing,  3^ou  can  come  down 
to  my  store  and  get  it"'  and  "I  am  going  to  create  a  de- 
mand for  my  product." 

The  secret  of  many  business  failures  is  hidden  in  tliis 
little  story. 

Chief  Cause        Failure  to  make  people  want  their  goods 
of  Failures  by  judicious  study  and  advertising  is  the 

reason  that  so  many  merchants  are  not 
more  prosperous.  You  must  find  a  demand  or  create 
one,  in  order  to  stay  in  business.  You  should  have  the 
co-operation  of  every  employee  in  yoar  institution  in  car- 
rying out  such  a  policy. 

If  you  receive  some  bird  cages,  and  you  know  a  wo- 
man who  has  a  bird,  and  who  needs  a  new  cage  your 
people  ought  to  know  enough  to  direct  her  attention  to 


Analysis  of  Sales  307 


the  cages.  If  I  am  a  patron  o£  your  grocery  store  and 
your  clerks  understand  that  I  am  fond  of  salt  fish  they 
should  tell  me  when  a  new  shipment  arrives. 

A  Satisfied  A  satisfied  customer  is  the  best  asset  of 
Customer  any  business.  I  would  rather  have  one 
such  person  go  out  to-day  as  an  advertise- 
ment for  a  store,  than  to  have  fourteen  make  purchases, 
and  afterward  talk  against  me. 

One  morning  I  went  into  a  small  city  on  business,  T 
had  been  engaged  by  one  of  the  local  merchants  to  give 
talks  on  Salesmanship.  He  had  a  force  that  needed  at- 
tention. We  were  standing  in  the  men's  furnishings  de- 
partment one  morning.  It  was  early  in  the  spring.  A' 
fellow  rode  up  in  an  automobile,  walked  in  and  said :  "I 
want  a  straw  hat." 

Selling  A  splendid  looking  young  salesman,  courteous 
a  Hat  and  kind,  showed  him  a  number  of  hats.     I 

heard  the  man  say:  "I  think  this  is  about  my 
kind.    How  much  is  it  ?" 

"Three  fifty." 

"That  is  pretty  good.    It  is  about  what  I  want." 

"Yes." 

He  went  over  and  looked  in  the  mirror. 

The  clerk  added :  "Here  are  some  more  you  have  not 
yet  seen.  This  one  is  only  $3,  here  is  another  for  $2.50, 
and  one  for  $2." 

The  customer  was  courteous  and  liked  to  oblige  the 
salesman.  He  tried  on  all  the  hats  and  then  picked  up 
his  original  selection  and  said:  "I  think  I  like  this  one 
better  than  any  of  them." 


308  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

The  proprietor  looked  at  me  significantly  and  asked : 

"Do  you  think  he  is  going  to  let  him  have  it  ?" 

I  didn't  know,  for  just  then  he  went  to  another  table. 

Eventually  the  customer  got  his  hat.     "Don't  wrap  it  up, 

he  exclaimed,  "I  will  take  it  just  as  it  is." 

Selling  A  woman  looked  at  brown  in  the  dress  goods 
a  Dress  department.  "That's  just  my  shade,"  she  en- 
thused. *Tt  is  perfectly  lovely.  Any  trimming 
with  it?" 

"Oh,  yes.     This  and  this." 

"How  much  does  it  take?" 

"Only  seven  yards?" 

"That  is  quite  economical,"  she  added,  "seven  yards  is 
not  so  much.  Really,  that  is  what  I  have  been  looking 
for  all  the  time.    It's  the  very  thing." 

Just  then  the  blundering  salesman  exclaimed :  "Here 
are  a  couple  of  other  pieces  I  almost  overlooked." 

The  woman  was  satisfied,  but  she  requested:  "Just 
give  me  a  sample.  They  are  all  so  nice  I  do  not  know 
which  to  buy."  And  then  she  went  out  and  bought  else- 
where just  because  of  one  salesman's  lack  of  selling 
sense. 

Negative  I  walked  into  a  store,  and  asked :    "You 

Salesmanship     handle  so-and-so?" 

The  salesman  replied,  "Yes." 
I  said  I  would  like  to  see  it,  and  he  laid  it  down  on  the 

counter  in  front  of  me  with  the  comment : 
"I  don't  suppose  you  would  like  this  kind?" 
Instead  of  doing  something  to  interest  me,  tlie  man 

immediately  began  saying  he  was  quite  confident  I  would 


Analysis  of  Sales  309 

not  care  for  this  proposition.     I  did  not  blame  him  very- 
much. 

Reading  In  another  place  a  young  fellow  showed  me 

Your  an  article  I  had  called  for,  with  the  remark : 

Customer        *'I  do  not  know  whether  you  want  anything 
so  expensive  as  this  or  not." 
The  kind  of  things  I  have  mentioned  are  what  keep 
people  from  becoming  interested  in  your  goods. 

Interest  in  While  I  was  in  a  drug  store  last  summer  I 
Customer  noticed  a  couple  of  young  fellows  receiving 
money  as  representatives  of  the  concern.  I 
asked  if  they  were  handling  certain  articles,  and  one  re- 
sponded: "Yes."  He  then  turned  to  his  companion 
with  the  remark:  "You  know,  I  think  Chicago  Is  going 
to  win  the  pennant.  The  last  wire  they  had  at  the  office 
said  they  were  In  the  lead." 

After  he  had  finished  his  conversation  about  the  ball 
game  he  Inquired : 

"What  Is  It  you  said  you  wanted?" 

"This  Is  a  nice  store  to  keep  away  from,"  I  replied  as 
I  walked  out. 

Displaying  Some  ladies  enter  a  store  to  buy  a  gar- 

Merchandise  ment  and  the  saleswoman  holds  it  up 
like  a  rag.  The  woman  Is  not  going  to 
be  as  much  impressed  with  that  garment,  as  she  would 
be  if  it  were  displayed  In  the  best  form.  Put  it  on  the 
customer.  Relieve  her  of  any  constructive  thinking. 
Show  your  merchandise  as  It  will  look  in  use. 

A  young  lady  in  a  small  city  was  working  In  a  general 


310  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

store.  vShe  was  responsible  for  the  sale  of  collars.  People 
passed  her  day  after  day  without  looking  at  her"^ display. 
She  began  to  wonder  why.  Analyzing  her  stock  she  saw 
that  it  lacked  contrast  of  colors.  She  removed  the  ma- 
jorit)^  of  the  collars  and  placed  a  piece  of  purple  paper 
beneath  those  that  remained.  A  white  collar  was  thus 
exhibited  with  an  attractive  background  just  as  it  would 
be  worn.    Customers  became  interested  at  once. 

This  enterprising  girl  discovered  that  the  majority  of 
women  would  ask:  "May  I  put  it  on?"  or  "Will  you 
put  it  on  so  I  can  see  how  it  looks?'* 

Then  she  found  an  old  waist  form  that  had  been 
thrown  away  and  fixed  it  up  for  displaying  collars.  She 
used  a  colored  waist  in  order  to  create  a  striking  effect. 
Her  sales  were  increased  60  per  cent  by  this  plan. 

Show  The  first  principle  of  merchandise  dis- 

Your  Goods  play  is  to  relieve  the  customer  of  any 
effort.  Suppose  you  are  selling  curtain 
goods.  If  you  do  not  have  the  necessary  fixtures  get  a 
piece  of  stick,  wrap  it  with  paper,  and  put  it  across  the 
tops  of  two  chairs.  When  anyone  asks  to  see  your 
goods,  open  the  bolt  and  drape  the  pattern  over  the  im- 
provised pole. 

Take  shoes,  for  instance.  A  wise  salesman  says: 
"The;  first  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  please  the  eye.  You 
bring  out  a  shoe  and  the  customer  says,  'I  don't  like 
that.'  You  say  goodbye,  and  get  something  else.  When 
you  have  the  eye  satisfied  the  next  thing  is  to  please  the 
foot.    Last  of  all,  you  must  please  the  pocket-book." 


Analysts  of  Sales  311 


Importance  It  is  needless  for  me  to  say  anything 
of  Color  about   color  to  the  man  who  is  selling 

ribbons  and  dry  goods.  But  with  the 
other  merchants  it  is  different.  A  hardware  man  once 
remarked  to  me  that  it  was  a  waste  of  time  for  me  to 
talk  "color"  to  him.  I  stayed  in  his  store  seven  weeks. 
He  had  engaged  a  young  boy  to  sell  merchandise.  A 
young  woman  came  in  from  the  country  and  wanted  to 
buy  paint  for  a  dwelling.  She  explained:  "I  wanted 
the  old  man  to  have  it  painted  before,  but  it  was  a 
pretty  expensive  job  and  he  has  been  putting  it  off.  At 
last  he  has  decided  to  have  it  done." 

"All  right,  replied  the  boy,  we  have  quite  a  nice  lot  of 
paint  here." 

He  estimated  the  number  of  gallons  the  job  would 
require.    Then  I  heard  the  woman  ask: 

"Just  how  would  3^ou  trim  that  house  ?  I  am  not  sure 
about  the  colors.  The  old  man  could  not  come  in  to-day. 
He  said:  "Anyhow,  maybe  the  people  at  the  store  will 
know  more  about  it  than  I  do." 

The  boy  was  scared,  but  he  managed  to  say:  "I  ex- 
pect we  will  have  to  leave  that  to  the  painter.  I  don't 
know  much  about  such  things."  "I  cannot  decide  with- 
out the  old  man,"  replied  the  woman,  as  she  left  the 
store. 

She  went  to  Mr.  Painter,  who  told  her  how  to  decor- 
ate the  house.  The  last  time  I  saw  the  merchant  he  still 
had  the  paint. 

I  have  a  personal  friend  whom  I  went  to  see  during 
the  Christmas  holidays.  He  was  upstairs  dressing  for 
supper.  When  he  came  down  I  heard  his  wife  demand: 
"For  goodness  sake,  who  sold  you  that  hideous  tie  ?" 


312  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

"Why,"  he  responded,  "what  is  the  matter  with  the 
tie?" 

"A  man  of  your  complexion  should  never  wear  that 
color/' 

Take  another  instance.  A  woman  is  attending  a  social 
gathering.  All  her  women  friends  gather  around  her 
and  exclaim :  "Really,  that  is  such  a  becoming  garment 
you  have  on.    Where  did  you  get  it  ?" 

Motives  "Oh !"  she  replied,  "Mary  over  at  the  store 

That  Move     suggested  it." 

Buyers  The  most  vital  selling  point,  is  the  point  of 

greatest  interest  to  the  particular  customer. 
Let  me  illustrate. 

One  man  buys  insurance  for  investment;  another  foi 
protection.  Both  of  them  purchase  the  same  commodity, 
but  a  good  solicitor  would  not  talk  to  both  in  the  same 
way.  These  two  classes  of  people  are  among  your  pat- 
rons, and  you  should  know  how  to  handle  each  group. 

Customer  Number  One  walks  up  to  the  salesman  and 
says: 

"I  would  like  to  have  a  pair  of  good  strong  shoes. 
You  know  I  am  doing  work  which  is  hard  on  leather.  If 
you  have  something  that  will  give  me  a  lot  of  service,  I 
want  it." 

This  man  is  interested  in  service.  No  sensible  sales- 
man would  think  of  talking  style  to  him. 

The  next  customer  has  an  entirely  different  viewpoint. 
He  is  a  young  man  about  town  who  rather  prides  him- 
self on  being  well-dressed. 

*T  want  shoes,"  he  exclaims,  ''something  up-to-date/' 

The  third  customer  comes  limping  in  and  asks : 


Analysis  of  Sales  313 

"I  wonder  if  you  have  a  soft,  comfortable  sort  of 
shoe?  I  don't  care  how  it  wears.  I  have  a  lot  of  trouble 
with  my  feet." 

You  would  be  a  fine  salesman  if  you  talked  to  this 
customer  about  a  heaiitiful  shoe, — or  how  long  it  is  going 
to  wear.  If  you  are  wise  you  will  tell  him  how  comfort- 
able it  is. 

Then  comes  the  Customer  Number  Four  who  says :  "I 
have  just  so  much  money.  Can  I  buy  a  pair  of  shoes 
for  that  amount  ?"  He  is  interested  in  the  price,  but  all 
four  are  buying  shoes. 

Get  the  Get  the  customer's  viewpoint.     Find  out. 

Customer's  without  asking  too  many  questions,  what 
Viewpoint  he  needs.  You  know  whether  or  not  he  is 
working  on  a  farm  or  in  town ;  Vv'-hether  he 
is  a  minister  or  a  laboring  man.  Be  sure  to  adapt  your- 
self to  his  desires. 

A  young  saleswoman  put  a  handbag  down  in  front  oi 
a  customer  and  told  her  the  price.  The  woman  asked: 
"Do  you  think  that  is  real  leather?" 

The  clerk  replied:    "It  looks  like  it." 

"What  is  the  idea  of  asking  $3  for  it  ?" 

"Well,  the  boss  marked  it  that  way,  and  he  would  give 
us  the  deuce  if  we  sold  it  for  any  less." 

Study  Now  I  will  tell  you  about  a  merchant  who 
Human  appreciated  the  importance  of  the  human  ele- 
Nature  ment.  A  farmer  came  into  his  store.  The 
storekeeper  inquired  about  the  farmer's  fam- 
ily, the  roads,  and  the  crops.  Then  he  asked:  "Well, 
Bill,  what  can  I  do  for  you  to-day?"     "At  last  the  old 


314  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

cook  stove  has  burned  out,"  replied  the  farmer.  "I  have 
been  fighting  for  a  long  time  against  buying  a  new  one, 
but  I  guess  the  'jig'  is  up  now." 

"What  sort  of  stove  do  you  want  ?"  inquired  the  hard- 
ware man,  sympathetically. 

"Look  here,  Tom,  I  do  not  think  it  is  necessary  for 
you  to  ask  me  that.  You  know  I  cannot  afford  to  spend 
as  much  money  as  some  other  people.  The  old  woman 
has  been  doing  with  that  stove  for  a  long  time,  and  de- 
serves a  good  one.  You  know  how  much  money  I  have. 
I  want  to  do  anything  within  reason.  It  is  probably  the 
last  one  she  is  going  to  get.  You  had  better  pick  it  out. 
You  know  better  than  I  do." 

Honesty  No  doubt  the  farmer  had  been  dealing  with 
Inspires  that   merchant   for  many  years.     And  he 

Confidence  had  discovered  that  the  storekeeper  was 
honest.  If  the  dealer  said  a  thing  was  good, 
it  was  good;  if  he  said  it  weighed  a  pound,  it  weighed  a 
pound ;  if  there  was  any  mistake  he  was  always  ready  to 
back  it  up  and  say:  "I  am  going  to  give  you  a  square 
deal."  That  is  the  kind  of  confidence  that  wins  and 
holds  customers. 

Study  Merchants  in  the  cities  do  not  enjoy  that 

Your  Goods  sort  of  contact.  In  the  larger  centers 
the  people  have  acquired  the  habit  of 
shopping  quickly  and  there  is  little  time  for  anything 
else.  Storekeepers  who  deal  with  rural  customers  are 
learning  the  value  of  knowing  their  patrons  by  their  first 
names. 


Analysis  of  Sales  315 

In  a  city  in  Pennsylvania  a  young  woman  came  to  me 
and  said:  "I  know  you  are  perfectly  all  right,  but  I  do 
not  believe  it  is  possible  for  a  salesperson  in  the  average 
store,  particularly  in  the  smaller  ones,  to  talk  intelligently 
about  the  merchandise,  or  to  give  a  customer  the  knowl- 
edge you  demand,  because  he  has  never  been  through 
a  factory.'' 

"Perhaps  your  view  is  right,"  I  replied.  "I  would  not 
attempt  to  dispute  it." 

Ten  days  later,  after  she  had  forgotten  this  incident, 
I  walked  into  the  department  in  which  she  was  handling 
leather  goods.  I  had  my  hat  on  and  acted  like  a  shopper. 
Approaching  the  counter  I  said :  "Let  me  look  at  these," 
indicating  leather  goods.  "I  want  something  appropri- 
ate to  send  to  a  young  sister." 

The  woman  made  various  suggestions  and  finally  laid 
down  a  little  handbag,  apparently  of  leather.  "What  is 
the  price?"  I  inquired. 

"Three  dollars." 

Just  to  see  what  she  would  say,  I  demanded:  "Do 
you  mean  to  tell  me  you  have  the  nerve  to  ask  $3  for 
that  handbag?" 

"You  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking  about,"  she 
replied :  "That  bag  is  made  of  the  best  quality  of  grain 
leather.  A  woman  would  get  four  or  five  years'  use  out 
of  it.    If  that  is  not  cheap  service,  I  do  not  know  what 

IS." 

"It  may  be  good  leather,  but  the  thing  is  poorly  made," 
I  replied. 

Then  she  picked  it  up  and  showed  me  how  carefully 
it  was  sewed  and  all  about  the  construction. 

"I  think  the  metal  will  tarnish." 


316  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

And  she  proceeded  to  tell  me  It  would  not. 

"That  is  a  pretty  poor  fastening." 

In  reply  she  demonstrated  that  it  was  strong  and  dur- 
able. 

Then  she  opened  the  bag  as  she  went  on  talking. 
"The  inside  would  delight  the  eye  of  any  woman."  She 
showed  me  the  fittings  and  all  that  went  with  it,  includ- 
ing the  small  purse. 

"Those  that  I  saw  first  were  larger.  This  bag  looks 
small  to  me,"  was  my  next  complaint. 

"That  shows  you  are  not  keeping  up  with  the  styles. 
It  has  been  a  long  time  since  women  carried  those  big 
things." 

To  test  her  further  I  examined  another  bag  and  asked 
the  same  questions.     Finally  I  said: 

"Young  lady,  I  congratulate  you  on  the  information 
you  have  given  me.  Have  you  been  through  the  factory 
lately?" 

"No." 

"Where  did  you  get  it  all?" 

She  laughed  as  she  replied: 

"I  guess  you  have  me." 


SUMMARY  OF  EFFICIENT  AND  INEFFICIENT 
SELLING  METHODS 

Judgment  is  formed  by  comparison. 

Analyze  every  selling  talk  you  hear,  whether  you  con- 
sider it  good  or  bad,  and  thus  profit  by  the  experience  of 
others. 

Experience  based  upon  ignorance  is  not  necessarily 
knowledge. 


Analysis  of  Sales  317 


A  salesman  should  have  reason  to  believe  a  prospect 
is  interested  in  the  proposition  as  a  whole  before  the 
details  are  explained  to  him. 

The  public  demands  service.  A  town  or  city  that  has 
a  live  civic  organization  can  always  ascertain  and  solve 
its  problems,  if  it  is  willing  to  investigate.  A  trading 
center  has  a  personality  as  well  as  individuals. 

Low  grade  merchants  in  any  line  reflect  upon  every 
line.  When  people  buy  out  of  town  they  usually  bring 
back  a  diversified  list  of  articles.  Therefore,  it  is  the 
business  of  the  merchants  of  the  entire  town  to  know 
what  is  being  done  in  each  line. 

Every  one  is  a  salesperson  and  should  therefore  know 
how  to  deal  successfully  with  human  nature. 

A  good  salesman  should  know  his  goods,  their  origin, 
structure,  composition,  usage  and  price. 

A  selling  talk  must  be  carefully  prepared  in  accord- 
ance with  the  principles  of  salesmanship.  The  line  of 
argument  should  be  kept  distinctly  in  mind,  and  the 
presentation  made  in  a  clear,  logical  and  convincing 
manner.  There  must  be  an  appeal  to  the  heart  as  well 
as  to  the  head. 

There  is  nothing  more  important  in  an  organization 
than  the  sales  force.  If  you  do  not  turn  your  merchan- 
dise with  sufficient  rapidity,  your  business  is  not  going  to 
prosper. 

Good  advertising  should  get  attention  and  arouse  in- 
terest and  thus  leave  the  salesmen  free  to  concentrate  on 
closing  the  sale. 

A  satisfied  customer  is  your  best  advertisement. 

Make  it  easy  for  your  customer  to  buy.  Act  as  if  you 
believed  in  your  goods. 


318  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Get  the  customer's  viewpoint  and  then  you  can  talk 
intelligently  about  his  needs  and  wants. 


QUESTIONS  AND  EXERCISES 

1.  What  information  should  a  salesman  have  before 
beginning  a  demonstration  or  selling  talk  ? 

2.  How  would  you  proceed  with  the  crowd?  With 
the  individual? 

3.  How  many  factors  enter  into  a  sale  ? 

4.  How  may  a  Chamber  of  Commerce  or  Retail  Mer- 
chants' Association  remedy  conditions  in  their 
trading  territory? 

5.  What  principles  of  salesmanship  were  violated  in 
the  attempted  sale  of  gloves  ? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  negative  salesmanship? 

7.  What  should  be  the  attitude  of  the  department 
head  regarding  a  new  line  of  goods? 


Analysis  of  Sales  319 


PART  V 

SPECIALTY  SALESMANSHIP 

Specialty  salesmanship  covers  a  big  field.  It  deals 
with  goods  that  are  sold  direct  by  the  manufacturers, 
through  salesmen  to  ultimate  consumers,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  merchandise  marketed  by  mail.  Specialty  selling 
includes  cash  registers,  adding  machines,  typewriters, 
scales,  insurance,  books,  etc.  Such  salesmanship  requires 
a  higher  grade  of  ability  than  retail  selling.  In  the  retail 
business  the  salesman  is  obliged  to  wait  until  the  pros- 
pect comes  in  of  his  own  accord.  The  specialty  sales- 
man must  go  out  and  find  his  prospect,  in  an  office  or  a 
home,  and  then  sell  him.  He  is,  therefore,  much  better 
paid  on  the  average  than  the  retail  salesman.  Some 
specialty  salesmen  make  as  high  as  $25,000  and  $50,000 
a  year  and  even  more.  Good  life  insurance  people  place 
single  policies  amounting  to  $100,000  and  $500,000  and 
even  as  high  as  $1,000,000  at  one  time.  Sales  of  this 
size  are  naturally  very  profitable. 

There  are  about  300,000  house  to  house  salesmen  in 
the  United  States,  besides  thousands  of  others  who  call 
on  business  concerns. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

Origin  of  Salesmanship 
Instruction 

Subscription  Book  Salesmanship 

Origin  of  Ten  thousand  teachers  and  students  sell 

Salesmanship  books  every  summer.  For  that  reason 
Instruction  we  are  devoting  this  space  to  subscrip- 
tion book  salesmanship. 

Very  few  people  are  aware  that  a  subscription  book 
salesman  was  the  originator  of  salesmanship  instruction 
in  this  country.  Most  people  think  the  National  Cash 
Register  Company  was  the  first  American  organization 
to  teach  salesmanship.  It  was  the  first  great  commercial 
organization  that  required  its  salesmen  to  commit  a  sell- 
ing talk  to  memory.  Their  first  school  was  held  in  1894; 
but  subscription  book  houses  were  teaching  their  sales- 
men several  years  before  that  date.  Dr.  W.  C.  King, 
for  more  than  twenty-five  years  President  of  the  King- 
Richardson  Publishing  Company,  of  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts, was  the  first  man,  as  far  as  we  know,  to  teach 
salesmanship  in  the  United  States.  He  worked  his  way 
through  Beloit  College,  Wisconsin,  by  selling  books,  and 
was  then  engaged  by  a  subscription  book  concern  to  work 
for  them.  The  writer  has  known  Dr.  King  personally 
for  many  years. 

As  a  student,  I  was  trained  by  the  King-Richardson 
Company  and  sold  books  for  them  for  several  summers, 
later  hiring  and  training  men  for  them.  It  was  my  un- 
derstanding that  Dr.  King  originated  salesmanship  in- 
struction in  this  country.  With  that  idea  in  mind  I 
wrote  him  and  received  the  following  reply : 

320 


Subscription   Book   Salesmanship  321 

"Your  favor  covering  inquiry  came  to  hand  a  few 
days  ago.  In  reply  would  state  that  your  inference  is 
undoubtedly  correct.  Possibly  you  may  or  may  not 
know  that  I  paid  my  way  through  college  largely  by  sell- 
ing books  during  the  summer  vacations,  with  at  least 
fair  success,  and  after  graduating,  the  house  employed 
me  as  a  general  agent. 

"It  was  at  Northwestern  Colleg-e,  Naperville,  Illinois,  in 
June,  1878,  that  I  first  attempted  to  train  a  class  of 
twenty-nine  in  the  principles  of  salesmanship.  The 
training  program  of  the  house  was  simply  to  prepare 
the  agent  for  describing  the  book.  But  in  my  personal 
work,  I  discovered  that  there  was  something  more  re- 
quired for  the  highest  degree  of  success  and  I  decided 
to  try  out  my  own  scheme  of  training  on  the  twenty 
nine  men  whom  the  house  had  called  me  from  Wiscon- 
sin to  Naperville  to  train. 

"The  result  of  the  experiment  was  very  satisfactorv\ 
Those  twenty-nine  men  made  a  better  average  in  number 
of  orders  per  day  and  per  call  and  a  higher  w^eekly  aver- 
age of  orders  than  any  other  twenty-nine  men  of  the 
whole  selling  force,  numbering  over  seven  hundred  col- 
lege students,  who  went  out  that  summer  to  sell  books. 

"In  September,  1878,  I  came  east  and  established  a 
business  of  my  own.  It  was  then  that  I  formulated  a 
definite  plan  of  instruction  in  salesmanship,  elaborating 
on  the  three  cardinal  principles :  Approach,  Interest, 
Decision. 

"It  was  not  until  1887  that  Mr.  Richardson  joined  me 
in  forming  the  King-Richardson  Publishing  Company. 
Our  business  continued  to  grow  in  scope  and  volume 
with  two  thousand  salespeople  in  the  field,  and  by  1890 


332  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

It  had  extended  from  Maine  to  California.  Our  methods 
were  extensively  imitated  and  our  men  were  offered  ex- 
traordinary inducements  to  enter  the  employ  of  other 
houses  and  train  their  salesmen  in  our  methods  of  sell- 
ing." 

Origin  of  National  It  was  in  1887  that  the  first  Nat- 
Cash  Register  ional  Cash  Register  selling  talk  was 
Salesmanship  worked  out  but  the  National  Cash 
Register  School  of  Salesmanship 
was  not  started  imtil  April  14,  1894,  or  sixteen  years 
later  than  Mr.  King  began  to  teach  salesmanship  to  col- 
lege men.  There  were  seven  points  in  the  National  Cash 
Register  System: 

"First — The  problem  was  to  analyze  selling  argu- 
ments, selling  methods  and  selling  strategies  and  find  out 
why  one  set  of  selling  arguments^  methods  or  strategies 
made  sales  and  another  set  of  selling  arguments,  methods 
or  strategies  failed  to  make  sales. 

"Second — The  problem  was  to  check  up  and  discover 
the  cause  of  the  success  and  the  cause  of  the  failure  in 
the  selling  talk  and  in  the  man. 

"Third — The  plan  was  to  organize  and  bring  together 
all  the  selling  points,  selling  arguments  and  selling  meth- 
ods that  proved  successful  and  eliminate  all  that  proved 
unsuccessful.  After  this  was  done,  they  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  selling  plans  of  the  most  successful  salesmen 
and  then  planned  to  standardize  these  methods,  so  that 
everybody  could  use  them. 

"Fourth — The  next  problem  was  to  devise  plans  by 
which  the  men  could  be  kept  at  the  highest  degree  of 
efficiency. 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  323 


"Fifth — To  find  out  how  the  most  efficient  men  could 
be  rewarded  and  how  the  less  efficient  could  be  induced 
to  increase  their  efficiency. 

"Sixth — How  to  get  the  efficient  men  to  co-operate 
with  and  aid  in  increasing*  the  efficiency  of  the  inefficient 
men. 

"Seventh — To  work  out  a  plan  whereby  the  most 
efficient,  as  well  as  the  older  men  of  the  organization, 
could  profit  by  the  best  selling  methods  of  the  best  sales- 
men. 

"THE  FIVE  PARTS  OF  A  SALE.  After  working 
out  this  material,  the  National  Cash  Register  Company 
came  to  the  following  conclusion.  Every  sale  is  com- 
posed of  three  parts,  first — the  approach  ;  second — the 
demonstration;  third — the  close.  It  doesn't  make  any 
difference  whether  the  approach  consists  of  two  words, 
"Good  Morning"  and  the  demonstration  of  "Here  are 
the  goods ;  you  need  them"  and  the  closing — "Sign  your 
name  here,"  these  three  elements  enter  into  every  sale. 

"At  a  later  date  they  added  two  preliminary  stages  to 
the  sale — investigation  and  preparation.  They  found 
these  absolutely  necessary  before  the  approach  was  at- 
tempted. 

"The  National  Cash  Register  Sales  Instructors  charted 
the  qualities  that  they  considered  essential  to  success  in 
their  salesmen.  They  are  as  follows : 

"First— Health. 

"Second — Honesty. 

"Third— Ability. 

"Fourth — Initiative. 

"Fifth — Knowledge  of  the  Business. 

"Sixth — Systematic  Industry. 


324  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


"Seventh— Tact. 

"Eighth — Open  Mindedness. 

"Ninth — Sincerity. 

"Tenth — Enthusiasm. 

"Inasmuch  as  these  were  the  positive  traits  which  the 
successful  salesman  shouM  have,  they  then  decided  to 
analyze  the  negative  traits.  The  following  were  decided 
upon : 

"First— Lack  of  Tact. 

"Second — Slovenliness  and  Careless  Dress. 

"Third — Does  not  intelligently  answer  questions. 

"Fourth— Lack  of  Ability. 

"Fifth — Awkwardness. 

"Sixth — Lack  of  Dignity. 

"Seventh — Failing  to  get  the  prospect  to  look  at  his 
goods. 

"Eighth — Indiscreet  Answers. 

"Ninth — Improper  use  of  Advertising. 

"Tenth — Unclean  office  and  poor  displays. 

"Eleventh — No  window  displays. 

"Twelfth — Doesn't  understand  register,  and  can't  ex- 
plain it. 

"Thirteenth — Doesn't  understand  the  prospect's  busi- 
ness. 

"Fourteenth — Doesn't  keep  up  with  the  new  argu- 
ments and  information  the  company  furnishes. 

"Fifteenth — Doesn't  show  low  priced  as  well  as  high 
priced  registers. 

"Sixteenth — Failure  to  co-operate  with  the  company's 
advertising. 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  325 

"Seventeenth — Failure  to  say  or  do  the  thing  in  the 
best  way." 

Learning  This  company  was  approaching  the  scien- 
the  Wrong  tific  method  but  it  was  impossible  for  it  in 
Way  a  short  time  to  learn  all  it  could  learn  about 

the  sale  of  its  product.  In  later  years  bet- 
ter methods  were  discovered.  To  a  class  that  graduated 
in  1910,  Mr.  E.  A.  Deeds,  the  General  Manager,  said: 
*'You  have  learned  here  how  to  study.  In  this  school 
you  have  enjoyed  many  advantages  which  the  older  men 
did  not  have.  You  have  studied  the  business  in  a  sim- 
plified form  under  a  practical  instructor.  A  great  many 
of  our  old  men  are  handicapped  by  having  learned  the 
thing  the  wrong  way." 

The  origin  of  salesmanship  instruction  in  the  United 
States  has  never  before  been  told,  as  far  as  we  know. 
From  a  historic  point  of  view,  Dr.  King's  words  are, 
therefore,  of  great  interest.  The  National  Cash  Regis- 
ter Company  was  the  first  Commercial  concern  in  Amer- 
ica to  teach  its  men  salesmanship.  The  origin  and  de- 
velopment of  their  method  of  instruction  Is  equally  in- 
teresting. It  was  my  privilege  to  be  trained  by  both  or- 
ganizations and  serve  them  as  a  salesman. 

The  way  the  National  Cash  Register  Company  origin- 
ated their  system,  which  has  made  them  the  greatest 
commercial  sales  organization  the  world  has  ever  known, 
has  often  been  told.  The  cash  register  was  a  new  and 
unknown  machine.  The  retailers  were  opposed  to  it  be- 
cause they  did  not  understand  it.  They  had  been  follow- 
ing certain  methods  so  long  that  they  were  quite  satisfied 
with  fhem.    The  National  Cash  Register  Company  had  a 


326  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

hard  time  to  get  its  business  started.  The  analytical 
work  of  one  salesman,  by  the  name  of  J.  C.  Crane,  to- 
gether with  the  president's  ability  to  recognize  a  good 
idea  when  he  saw  it,  was  the  basis  of  their  great  selling 
methods.  Mr.  Crane  became  very  successful.  His  sales 
were  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  sales  of  the  other  sales- 
men. John  H.  Patterson,  the  president  of  the  company, 
called  him  in  one  day  and  asked  him  to  demonstrate  a 
National  Cash  Register  to  him.  Mr.  Crane  immediately 
complied. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  so  delighted  with  the  demonstration 
that  he  offered  the  salesman  $10.00  if  he  would  repeat  it 
verbatim.  This  Mr.  Crane  did.  In  the  meantime  a 
stenographer  was  called  in  who  took  down  the  selling 
talk.  It  was  immediately  transcribed.  Mr.  Patterson 
saw  the  solution  of  his  selling  problem.  Pie  discovered 
that  this  salesman  had  found  the  quickest,  best,  easiest 
method  of  selling  a  cash  register.  Pie  asked  him,  "How 
did  you  discover  it?"  Mr.  Crane  replied  that  he  very 
often  lost  a  sale.  After  carefully  thinking  over  his 
methods  he  discovered  that  he  had  overlooked  some  point 
or  points  in  his  demonstration  that  should  have  resulted 
in  more  sales.  He  decided  then  to  make  a  systematic 
study  of  the  machine.  He  began  at  one  corner  and  care- 
fully studied  every  feature  around  to  the  starting  point. 
He  got  all  this  information  clearly  in  mind.  Then  he 
worked  out  the  best  plan  for  conveying  this  information 
to  the  merchant.  In  other  words,  what  he  tried  to  do 
was  to  tell  the  whole  truth,  tell  it  effectively,  and  show 
the  prospective  buyer  how  the  machine  could  be  of 
service  to  him.  Isn't  that  all  salesmanship  is  anyway — 
telling  the  truth,  telling  it  effectively  and  showing  how 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  327 

the  buyer  will  profit  by  that  particular  article,  because  it 
is  to  his  advantage  to  have  it? 

New  Methods     Mr.  Patterson  immediately  called  in  part 
Opposed  of  his  sales  force  and  told  them  about 

his  wonderful  discovery.  He  asked  Mr. 
Crane  to  make  a  demonstration  so  the  others  could  see 
why  he  was  so  successful.  Mr.  Patterson  told  his  men 
he  was  going  to  have  this  selling  talk  printed  so  they 
could  commit  it  to  memory  and  use  it.  They  immedi- 
ately told  him  they  would  not  consider  any  such  thing, 
that  they  did  not  propose  to  be  parrots.  They  would  not 
use  any  methods  but  their  own.  They  proposed  to  de- 
pend upon  the  "spur  of  the  moment"  for  their  inspira- 
tion. 

Being  a  diplomat  Mr.  Patterson  temporarily  concurred 
with  them.  But  he  asked  each  one  to  make  a  demon- 
stration before  the  group.  He  very  wisely  put  a  screen 
back  of  the  man  with  a  stenographer  behind  it.  The 
stenographer  took  down  all  of  those  selling  talks.  As 
soon  as  they  had  been  transcribed  Mr.  Patterson  went 
over  them  carefully  and  blue  penciled  all  the  statements 
that,  as  the  lawyers  say,  were  "incompetent,  irrelevant 
and  immaterial." 

Value  of  After   a    few    days    Mr.    Patterson   apv 

Selling  Talk  proached  one  of  the  salesmen  and  said, 
"Mr.  Blank,  in  your  demonstration  the 
other  day  you  made  this  statement."  Mr.  Blank  replied  : 
"I  didn't  make  any  such  statement.  I  am  not  such  a 
fool  as  to  talk  like  that."  Mr.  Patterson  continued: 
"Possibly  you  would  like  to  know  exactly  what  }  ou  did 
say.    You  are  not  aware  that  we  had  a  stenographer  be- 


328  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

hind  the  screen  and  that  your  demonstration  was  taken 
down  verbatim.  Perhaps  you  would  Uke  to  read  it." 
The  man  did.  Each  salesman  was  given  his  blue-penciled 
selling  talk,  and  then  he  saw  for  himself  how  weak  he 
was.  This  converted  those  present  and  they  were  im- 
mediately willing  to  commit  the  new  selling  talk  to  mem- 
ory. As  a  result  of  this  new  selling  talk  the  sales  began 
to  increase  by  leaps  and  bounds  and  in  a  few  years  the 
National  Cash  Register  Company  was  known  as  the 
greatest  sales  organization  in  the  world.  From  time  to 
time  the  selling  talk  was  changed  to  meet  new  conditions 
and  also  because  new  and  better  selling  methods  were 
being  evolved. 

I  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that,  when  I  used 
their  verbatim  selling  talk  in  New  York  City,  all  their 
salesmen  in  every  state  in  the  Union  were  using  the  same 
one.  Not  only  that  but  every  salesman  in  Canada,  Eng- 
land, Ireland,  Scotland,  Germany,  Scandinavia,  Russia, 
and  the  Orient  were  doing  likewise.  Why?  Because 
the  National  Cash  Register  Company  had  found  the 
quickest,  best  and  easiest  method  of  selling  the  machine. 
They  discovered  that  a  sale  was  made  in  the  mind  and 
not  in  the  order  book  or  the  pocket  book.  They  learned 
that  if  they  had  an  idea  that  would  help  a  man's  busi- 
ness, their  business  was  to  change  that  man's  mind  and 
bring  it  around  to  agree  with  theirs.  That  with  them  was 
salesmanship.  They  worked  out  selling  arguments  that 
had  proven  time  and  again  to  be  successful  in  answering 
objections  and  convincing  people.  The  National  Cash 
Register  Company  has  had  thousands  upon  thousands  of 
salesmen  during  their  history,  and  the  selling  talk  is 
based  upon  the  combined  experience  of  these  men. 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  329 

The  same  is  true  of  the  great  Subscription  Book 
Houses  in  this  country.  The  National  Cash  Register 
Company  and  other  big  concerns,  as  well  as  the  Sub- 
scription Book  companies,  have  found  there  is  only  one 
safe  method  to  use  in  training  new  men  and  that  is  to 
have  them  commit  a  selling  talk  to  memory.  They  must 
understand  the  fundamentals  and  work  in  the  right  way. 
Later  they  can  follow  an  organized  outline. 

Suppose  a  stenographer  were  to  follow  the  average  in- 
surance man  all  day,  take  down  every  word  he  said, 
type  it,  and  have  it  blue-penciled  by  a  salesmanship  en- 
gineer. The  result  would  be  that  a  great  deal  of  the 
talk  would  be  marked  "incompetent,  irrelevant,  and  im- 
material." Some  of  it  would  be  destructive.  Much  of 
it  would  have  to  be  eliminated  and  a  great  deal  would 
need  to  be  improved.  This  is  not  only  true  of  insurance 
salesmen,  over  seventy  per  cent  of  whom  are  highly  in- 
competent, but  it  is  true  of  all  sales  organizations  in  the 
country  whose  men  are  not  highly  trained.  A  prominent 
Equitable  Life  Insurance  man  says  ninety  per  cent  of 
their  insurance  is  sold  by  ten  per  cent  of  their  salesmen. 

Value  of  Since   beginning   to    sell    I   have   observed 

Selling  not  only  thousands  but  tens  of  thousands  of 

Experience  college  students.  I  have  observed  thous- 
ands who  sold  books  successfully  because 
they  had  been  trained.  I  have  observed  other  thousands 
who  did  not  receive  the  training  and  who  did  not  succeed. 
I  am  convinced  as  a  result  of  this  observation,  covering 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  that  the  college  stud- 
ent, who  commits  a  selling  talk  to  memory,  who  receives 
a  thorough   Subscription   Book  training  and  who   sells 


330  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

books  three  or  four  summers,  will  have  tv/ice  as  much 
influence  in  later  life.  He  will  later  make  twice  as  much 
money  either  as  a  doctor,  a  lawyer,  a  preacher,  a  teacher 
or  a  business  man,  as  he  would  have  made  had  he  not 
received  this  training. 

Doubling  The  income  of  the  average  college  graduate 
Life  who  has  had  no  subscription  book  training 

Efficiency  and  selling  experience  is  $2,000  a  year  ac- 
cording to  government  reports.  That 
amounts  to  $60,000.00  during  a  thirty  year  period.  Then 
let  us  say  that  the  college  graduate  with  the  Subscription 
Book  training  averages  $4,000.00  a  year  for  thirty 
years.  That  amounts  to  $120,000.00  or  a  $60,000.00  div- 
idend on  his  Subscription  Book  experience. 

For  fear  this  is  excessive,  let  us  cut  it  in  two.  Let  us 
say  that  he  only  increases  his  income  fifty  per  cent  over 
•the  college  man  who  has  not  received  such  a  training. 
His  net  income  for  thirty  years,  according  to  my  figures, 
would  then  be  $1,000.00  a  year  extra,  or  $30,000.00. 
How  many  college  and  university  students  realize  that 
three  or  four  summers  spent  in  selling  books  is  worth  to 
them  at  least  $10,000.00  a  summer  as  a  lifetime  invest- 
ment, in  addition  to  the  money  they  make  immediately? 
These  figures  are  based  upon  the  pre-w^ar  earnings  of 
college  men. 

The  head  of  the  English  Department  in  a  prominent 
Ohio  college  says  that  the  graduates  of  his  school  do  not 
know  how  to  sell  their  services,  "Why,"  he  added,  "they 
do  not  even  know  how  to  dress."  What  good  does  it  do 
for  a  *'flower  to  blush  unseen  and  waste  its  sweetness  on 
the  desert  air?"     What  good  does  it  do  a  man  to  have 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  331 

potential  ability  if  he  cannot  co-ordinate  that  ability  with 
the  world's  opportunity? 

The  Tested  The  college  graduate  who  has  sold  books 
Graduate  successfully  develops  a  poise  that  adds 
greatly  to  his  efficiency  in  later  life.  He  is 
recognized  as  one  who  has  been  tested  and  not  found 
wanting ;  a  man  who  has  delivered  the  goods ;  a  man  who 
has  courage,  initiative  and  creative  ability;  a  man  who 
is  on  the  way  to  be  a  Master  of  Men,  and  who  under- 
stands the  psychology  of  leadership  and  the  philosophy 
of  action.  He  has  laid  the  foundation  which  will  later 
make  him  a  hundred  per  cent  man. 

A  widely  known  United  States  senator  who  became  a 
power  in  national  aflPairs  worked  his  way  through  college 
by  selling  books  between  terms.  He  attributed  much  of 
his  subsequent  success  to  his  experience  as  a  book  sales- 
man, because  he  thus  developed  initiative,  persistence  and 
business  sense,  and  obtained  a  valuable  insight  into  hu- 
man nature.  There  are  thousands  of  men  in  active  busi- 
ness who  obtained  their  start  in  the  same  way. 

When  a  college  student  who  has  sold  books  all  sum- 
mer comes  back  to  school  his  fellow  students  notice  a 
marked  difference  in  him.  But  they  rarely  stop  to  an- 
alyze the  change.  Of  course  they  see  that  he  has  greater 
confidence,  and  a  winning  way  that  is  characteristic. 
An  Improvement  in  his  use  and  command  of  English  in 
speaking  and  writing  is  noticed.  These  are  outward  and 
immediate  manifestations  of  his  training. 

When  a  college  student  signs  a  contract  to  sell,  that 
act  alone  reveals  courage  and  initiative.  When  he  buys 
his  ticket  to  his  destination  he  further  develops  these 


332  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

qualities.  When  he  raps  on  the  first  door  or  rings  the 
first  door  bell  in  the  country,  the  small  town,  or  the  great 
city,  will  power  and  initiative  are  required.  These  qual- 
ities are  required  when  he  goes  into  the  home  or  office 
to  convince  the  occupant  that  he  needs  a  book.  It  takes 
will  power  to  tell  the  prospect  at  the  proper  moment  to 
sign  his  name.  The  consciousness  of  victory  gives  the 
student  a  new  power  and  a  new  ambition.  It  lifts  him  a 
step  higher.  He  is  in  a  new  class.  He  can  never  quite 
get  back  to  where  he  was  before  he  wen  this  victory. 
He  gets  a  taste  of  the  conquering  spirit  which  makes  him 
unafraid  to  approach  the  greatest  man  in  the  universe. 

Business  A  selling  talk,  together  with  the  list  of  ob- 
Psychology  jections  and  answers  it  contains,  is  a  treat- 
and  Logic  ise  on  logic.  It  is  both  theory  and  practice. 
The  man  who  memorizes  this  material  on 
psychology  and  logic  learns  hoiv  to  apply  his  knowledge. 
He  learns  the  how  and  the  why  of  each  process.  Such 
a  man  has  already  taken  a  course  that  is  of  great  value. 
By  following  this  method  a  salesman  learns  from  the  ex- 
perience of  other  successful  salesmen.  When  he  subject- 
ively absorbs  the  principles  of  the  memorized  talk  and  is 
taught  how  to  apply  them,  he  saves  years  of  time,  and 
greatly  increases  his  chances  for  success. 

Resolve  to  Let  us  call  attention  to  some  qualities  that 
Succeed  the  salesman  or  any  man  must  possess  if  he 

expects  to  win.  One  of  these  is  persever- 
ance— determination  to  carry  out  every  idea  that  needs 
consideration.  A  college  man  will  not  succeed  as  a  Book 
Salesman  who  says :    "If  I  get  along  very  well  the  first 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  333 

two  or  three  weeks,  I  will  continue.  If  I  do  not  I  will 
quit."  When  I  went  out  to  sell  books  as  a  student,  I 
wrote  the  concern  that  I  was  either  going  to  succeed  or 
leave  my  bones  to  bleach  on  the  prairie.  My  bones  did 
not  bleach.  They  never  do,  when  such  a  resolution  is 
made. 

An  individual  has  developed  the  mental  attitude  of 
success  when  he  tells  himself  that  failure  is  impossible. 
Some  mediocre  salesmen  have  been  marvelously  success- 
ful simply  because  of  their  perseverance. 

A  young  man  went  out  to  sell  books.  His  future  did 
not  seem  bright.  His  folks  laughed  at  him,  as  they  often 
do.  You  know  a  man's  judgment  is  no  better  than  his 
information.  One's  relatives  may  not  know.  Therefore, 
they  cannot  always  decide  wisely.  This  young  man's 
people  did  not  believe  he  would  succeed.  The  man  who 
trained  him  had  doubts.  But  he  went  out  believing  in 
himself.  He  regarded  it  as  his  business  to  get  an  order 
at  every  house.  In  ten  years  he  was  rich.  Perseverance 
brought  its  reward.     He  never  took  "no"  for  an  answer. 

Mental  attitude  is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  Sub- 
scription Book  Salesmanship.  There  are  three  mental 
attitudes : 

1.  In  relation  to  oneself. 

2.  In  relation  to  the  proposition  you  have  to  sell. 

3.  In  relation  to  the  public. 

The  man  who  attempts  to  sell  an  article  in  which  he 
does  not  believe,  goes  out  with  a  hang-dog  mental  atti- 
tude. If  he  has  any  self-respect  he  will  not  work  at 
such  a  proposition.  If  he  does,  it  will  eliminate  every 
spark  of  his  manhood.  But  the  man  who  believes  in  a 
proposition  with  all  his  heart  will  have  confidence  in  him- 


334  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

self.  When  he  approaches  a  prospective  customer  he 
will  say:  "This  individual  needs  this  book.  He  ought 
to  have  it,  and  if  I  cannot  sell  it  to  him  I  v^ill  be  doing 
him  an  injustice." 

Service  The  Book  Salesmen  of  the  world  render  a 
great  service  to  humanity.  They  carry  the 
best  productions  into  homes  where  otherwise  they  would 
be  unknown.  They  are  civilizers  and  educators.  The 
college  men  who  spend  their  summers  selling  books  rep- 
resent a  great  Educational  Extension  Movement.  They 
should  receive  the  plaudits  of  the  schools  that  send  them 
out,  and  many  of  them  do.  Henry  Clay's  mother  was  a 
poor  wash-woman  but  she  saved  three  cents  a  day  to 
buy  her  son  a  book.  Possibly  no  one  agency  outside  of 
the  school  and  church  Is  as  great  a  civilizer  and  educator 
as  is  the  Book  Salesman.  He  enters  homes  that  are  not 
reached  by  the  church  or  the  college  and  plants  a  lighted 
torch  of  knowledge  that  illuminates  the  entire  family. 
All  honor  to  the  students  who  serve  mankind  in  this 
way! 

When  talking  with  a  prospect  always  make  his  interest 
paramount.  Appeal  immediately  to  his  self-interest.  An 
expert  business  letter  writer  begins  the  letter  with  "You" 
and  never  with  "L"  He  discusses  the  reader's  problem 
and  how  he  may  help  him  solve  it. 

The  book  salesman  should  do  the  same  thing.  In  deal- 
ing with  a  farmer  or  a  working  man  who  may  have 
leisure  or  who  may  not  appreciate  the  value  of  time,  it 
is  a  good  thing  to  indulge  in  a  little  "small  talk."  The 
approach  to  a  selling  talk  is  what  the  headline  in  a  news- 
paper is  to  the  article.     The  heading  aims  to  epitomize 


Subscription^  Book  Salesmanship  335 

the  story.  In  two. or  three  sentences  a  clever  salesman 
will  give  the  prospect  a  synopsis  of  the  selling  talk  that 
will  immediately  arrest  his  attention  and  make  him  want 
the  article  that  is  being  offered.  Attention  immediately 
blends  into  interest.  You  cannot  sell  a  man  anything 
unless  you  interest  him.  as  you  proceed. 

Value  of  The  next  step  after  interest  is  conviction. 

Contrast  I  want  to  show  you  how  to  contrast  inter- 
est and  conviction  so  as  to  convince  and 
persuade  the  individual  in  the  quickest,  best  and  easiest 
way.  You  know  that  every  successful  speaker  uses  con- 
trast and  comparison.  Every  successful  writer  does  the 
same.  So  does  the  artist.  Look  at  a  bill  board  and  what 
do  you  see?  A  white  background  with  black  letters  or 
possibly  a  black  background  with  white  letters.  Notice 
the  advertisements  in  the  papers,  magazines  and  street 
cars  and  3^ou  will  realize  the  value  of  contrast.  Day  is 
a  contrast  to  night.  A  strong  contrast  is  furnished  by 
the  headlight  of  a  locomotive  as  it  pierces  the  darkness. 
The  hoot  of  an  owl  in  the  stillness  of  night  is  another 
illustration. 

How  then  are  you  going  to  create  the  proper  contrast 
when  making  a  sale?  You  know  that  you  cannot  fill  a 
pail  with  water  if  it  is  already  full.  You  must  empty  it 
first.  Likewise  you  must  empty  a  man's  mind  of  what 
there  is  In  it  before  you  can  put  in  something  else.  You 
must  convince  him  that  he  is  sick  before  you  can  make 
him  buy  a  remedy  that  will  cure  him.  You  must  prove 
to  an  ignorant  man  that  he  is  ignoraftt,  and  that  what 
you  have  will  make  him  profitably  intelligent  before  you 
can  sell  him.     By  the  way,  the  less  a  man  knows  the 


33()  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

greater  your  difficulty  will  be,  because  he  will  not  realize 
his  own  ignorance  and  neither  will  he  appreciate  the 
value  of  intelligence.  It  is  very  difficult  to  sell  a  book  on 
"Success"  to  a  man  who  runs  an  elevator  in  an  office 
building. 

How  then  are  you  going  to  create  this  contrast  ?  How 
are  you  going  to  produce  the  mental  vacuum  and  then 
how  are  you  going  to  fill  it  ?  Let  us  use  several  illustra- 
tions.   They  are  hypothetical,  although  based  upon  facts. 

Suppose  you  are  selling  a  book  to  a  farmer.  Wouldn't 
you  arouse  his  interest  if  you  told  him  that  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  had  worked  out  new  methods  that 
would  pay  farmers  a  profit  of  twelve  million  dollars  on 
the  corn  and  wheat  crops  alone,  for  every  growing  day 
during  the  season? 

The  Contrast  Suppose  there  are  six  million  farmers  in 
Illustrated  this    country    and    the    present    loss    is 

twelve  million  dollars  a  day.  That 
would  be  two  dollars  a  day  loss  for  each  farmer  on  the 
wheat  and  corn  crops  alone,  would  it  not?  Suppose 
you  tell  the  farmer  that  the  average  yield  of  wheat  in 
England  is  forty  bushels  to  the  acre ;  in  Scotland  thirty- 
eight;  in  Ireland  and  Germany,  thirty- four;  in  China, 
twenty-three ;  but  in  the  United  States,  where  the  land  is 
more  fertile  than  in  any  of  the  countries  mentioned,  the 
yield  Is  only  sixteen  bushels  to  the  acre.  Why  ?  Simply 
because  we  have  not  been  obliged  to  learn  the  best  meth- 
ods of  farming  as  they  have  been  learned  in  these  other 
parts  of  the  world.  When  we  do  learn,  our  yield  per 
acre  will  more  than  double.  Or  suppose  you  say  that 
the  loss  per  farmer  in  five  of  the  Central  States,  accord- 


Subscription   Book   Salesmanship  337 

ing  to  government  figures  in  the  last  ten  years,  has  been 
five  horses,  sixteen  cows,  nineteen  sheep,  and  sixty-four 
hogs.  According  to  the  Government  reports  ninety  per 
cent  of  this  loss  has  been  entirely  unnecessary  and  pre- 
\entable. 

Suppose  you  say  to  him  that  there  is  an  eight  hundred 
and  thirty  million  dollar  loss  annually  due  to  the  waste  of 
fertilizers;  that  there  was  a  two  hundred  million  dollar 
loss  due  to  the  cotton  boll-weevil  in  1916.  You  might 
add  that  every  dollar  so  lost  not  only  hurts  the  farmer 
but  injures  every  other  individual  in  this  country,  as  it 
increases  the  cost  of  living.  What  have  you  done  by 
giving  him  these  figures  ?  You  have  aroused  his  interest 
and  shown  him  his  need.  Your  next  step  is  to  convince 
him  that  your  book  will  overcome  his  difficulties  and 
stop  the  loss. 

Suppose  you  were  offering  a  business  book  to  a  mer- 
chant. You  could  arouse  a  good  deal  of  interest  by  say- 
ing, according  to  E.  H.  Hurley  formerly  of  the  Fed- 
eral Trade  Commission,  that  of  the  250,000  corporations 
doing  business  in  1915,  190,000  of  them  paid  no  divi- 
dends on  their  investment.  The  failure,  according  to  Mr. 
Hurley,  was  due  to  executive  inefficiency.  Suppose  you 
say  that  of  the  23,000  failures  investigated  during  the 
same  year  by  this  commission,  the  report  shows  that 
ninety  per  cent  of  them  were  due  to  ignorance  and  ex- 
ecutive incapacity.  You  might  add:  "H  this  is  true  it 
would  pay  the  American  business  man  to  make  a  special 
study  of  management." 

The  National  Cash  Register  Company  and  the  Stand- 
ard Oil  Company  became  internationally  famous  because 
of  original  and  unique  selling  methods.    The  value  of  the 


338  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

product  alone  was  not  the  thing  that  made  them  success- 
ful. It  was  the  method  of  conveying  the  information  to 
the  customer.  In  making  these  statements  you  would 
greatly  interest  a  business  man.  He  would  be  ready  for 
your  arguments  designed  to  produce  conviction. 

If  you  were  selling  an  educational  book  you  might  say 
to  a  father  or  a  mother  that  at  most  we  do  not  live  very 
long,  and  that  we  are  working  hard  for  the  sake  of  our 
children,  their  education  and  their  future ;  that  we  want 
them  to  have  a  better  chance  than  we  had,  and  that  we 
are  willing  to  do  almost  anything  to  accomplish  that 
purpose. 

A  letter  was  once  sent  to  Benjamin  Franklin  from  a 
little  town  in  Massachusetts,  stating  that  the  name  of  the 
town  would  be  changed  to  Franklin  if  he  would  donate 
fifty  dollars  with  which  to  buy  a  church  bell.  He  replied 
that  he  would  not  give  fifty  dollars  to  buy  a  bell  but 
that  he  would  send  it  to  buy  books  to  fill  their  heads 
with  sense  instead  of  sound.  In  later  years  a  poor  boy 
in  that  neighborhood  studied  those  books.  They  revolu- 
tionized his  life.  His  name  was  Horace  Mann,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  world's  greatest  educators.  If  it  had 
not  been  for  those  books  the  world  would  never  have 
heard  of  him. 

Value  of  The  public  school  system  of  this  coun- 

School  System  try  represents  an  investment  of  $1,- 
221,695,730.  It  costs  the  American 
people  $446,736,929  a  year  to  maintain  it.  And,  yet,  ac- 
cording to  the  American  Rankers'  Association,  one  man 
out  of.  every  ten  w4io  dies  in  the  big  cities  of  this  coun- 
try is  buried  in  the  Potters'  field.     According  to  the 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  339 

American  Society  for  Thrift,  ninety-seven  per  cent  of  all 
the  men  in  this  country  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  are  de- 
pendent in  part  or  in  whole  upon  relatives,  friends  or 
charity  for  support.  If,  therefore,  our  children  are  to 
be  successful  and  happy  we  must  take  an  interest  in  their 
general  reading  as  well  as  in  their  schooling. 

In  making  a  sale  the  Book  Salesman  calls  attention 
to  high  ideals,  high  standards  of  living,  better  methods 
of  working,  better  methods  of  doing  business,  better 
methods  of  farming,  ways  of  improving  the  condition 
of  live  stock  and  better  systems  of  accounting.  In  so 
doing  he  benefits  the  community.  The  advanced  con- 
ditions in  many  parts  of  the  country  are  due  in  no  small 
part  to  the  Book  Salesman.  The  real  service  he  renders 
when  he  sells  a  good  book,  or  even  describes  one  to  an 
individual,  is  often  overlooked  by  both  the  buyer  and  the 
salesman.  Sometimes  what  he  does  is  not  appreciated, 
and  even  may  be  criticized,  but  that  is  characteristic  of 
human  history.  Columbus  discovered  a  continent,  only 
to  be  thrown  into  prison. 

The  Hidden  Many  sales  are  lost  because  the  salesman 
Objection  is  talking  about  one  thing  while  the  pros- 

pect is  thinking  about  another.  Once  I 
used  every  possible  effort  to  sell  a  National  Cash  Regis- 
ter, but  could  not  close  the  sale.  When  about  to  leave  I 
asked :  * 'Won't  you  kindly  tell  me  why  you  will  not  buy 
this  cash  register?"  "Why,  certainly,"  he  replied.  "I 
have  a  man  who  has  been  with  me  twelve  years  and  I 
am  afraid  that  the  purchase  of  this  machine  would 
cause  him  to  believe  that  I  think  he  is  dishonest.  I 
could  not  buy  unless  he  feels  right  about  it."    That  is  an 


340  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

objection  I  could  not  have  overcome  in  a  thousand  years 
by  appealing  to  motives  and  using  evidence.  I  simply 
remarked :  "Then  if  your  man  is  satisfied  will  you  take 
it?"  "Certainly,"  he  responded:  "I  saw  the  clerk  and 
told  him  that  the  proprietor  considered  his  opinion  very 
highly  and  wanted  his  ideas  before  buying.  The  em- 
ployee was  complimented.  I  demonstrated  the  machine 
and  he  became  enthusiastic.  As  soon  as  he  told  his  em- 
ployer that  he  believed  it  was  a  good  thing,  the  propri- 
etor signed  the  contract. 

A  Book  Salesman  spent  an  hour  demonstrating  a  book 
to  a  farmer  but  he  failed  to  sell,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  he  knew  the  farmer  needed  it.  After  he  found 
that  a  sale  was  impossible  he  asked  the  farmer  to  kindly 
tell  him  why  he  would  not  buy.  The  farmer  replied: 
"You  talked  so  fast  I  could  not  understand  what  you 
said."  The  salesman  then  wisely  handed  his  prospectus 
to  the  man,  pointed  out  some  special  features  and  got 
the  order. 

Many  times  your  prospect  will  agree  with  you  during 
the  entire  interview,  yet  refuse  to  buy.  You  can  usually 
draw  him  out  by  asking  a  few  questions.  The  following 
method  often  proves  successful: 

"Mr.  Blank,  you  are  satisfied  that  this  book  is  to  your 
advantage  (or  will  save  you  money),  aren't  you?"  He 
usually  agrees  with  you.  Then  follow  him  up  with  this 
question:  "There  is  no  good  reason  why  you  should 
not  take  it,  is  there?"  He  agrees  again.  "Then  the 
only  alternative  for  you  Is  to  sign  right  here,  isn't  it?" 
In  case  he  disagrees  with  you  on  either  question  he  will 
give  his  objection.  In  that  event,  answer  and  close  the 
sale  at  once. 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship 


341 


A  mental  reservation  sometimes  prevents  a  transaction 
unless  the  salesman  knows  what  the  objection  is  and  re- 
moves it.  I  was  once  told  that  a  sale  was  impossible  at  a 
certain  place  because  the  man  of  the  house  could  neither 
read  nor  write.  I  went  to  him  and  sold  a  book  in  a  few 
minutes.    He  bought  it  as  a  present  for  his  nephew. 

Check  Every  salesman  will  profit  by  using  the  fol- 

Yourself  lowing  system: 


STEPS  OF 
SALE 

NUMBER  OF  PERSONS  APPROACHED 

Total 

Remarks 

Approach 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Attention 

Interest 

Conviction 

Desire 

Resolve 

Order 

Leave-taking 

In  this  way  he  can  tell  what  percentage  of  people  he 
successfully  approaches;  what  ])erccntage  of  people  is 
willing  to  listen;  what  percentage  he  interests;  what 
percentage  he  convinces ;  what  percentage  desires  his 
proposition;  what  percentage  resolves  to  buy;  and  what 
percentage  he  closes  on  the  spot.  This  checking  system 
has  been  very  helpful.  '*No  chain  is  stronger  than  its 
weakest  link,"  and  a  man's  ability  to  handle  the  Mental 


342  Science  and  Art  of  Sei.ling 

Law  of  Sale  is  no  stronger  than  his  ability  to  handle 
each  step. 

After  a  salesman  has  called  upon  ten  people,  as  indi- 
cated here,  he  is  ready  to  check  up.  If  nine  out  of  the 
ten  have  been  willing  to  listen  to  him,  he  realizes  that 
his  approach  is  good;  if  he  successfully  interests  the 
nine,  he  understands  that  his  ability  to  convince  is  good ; 
if  he  only  induces  four  to  desire  his  proposition  he 
knows  that  he  is  weak  at  that  point;  if  he  closes  only 
two  sales  he  sees  that  his  final  appeal  must  be  strength- 
ened. 

This  method  has  been  successfully  used  by  a  Sub- 
scription Book  House  which  is  selling  a  $10.00  book. 
One-third  of  the  people  called  upon  make  a  purchase. 

A  salesman's  aim  should  be  to  so  perfect  himself  that 
he  will  sell  to  the  largest  possible  percentage  of  pros- 
pects. He  should  check  himself  every  day  with  this  in 
mind.    He  should  make  every  attempted  sale  a  test  case. 

Watch  He  should  never  use  a  rocking  chair  unless  it 
Details  is  absolutely  impossible  to  get  another  chair. 
It  is  far  better  to  sit  in  a  straight  chair  with 
his  back  to  the  light.  In  that  way  he  can  study  the  face 
of  the  customer  to  better  advantage.  The  business  man 
who  understands  this  matter  thoroughly  has  his  desk  ar- 
ranged so  that  the  light  comes  over  his  shoulder.  This 
makes  it  difficult  for  the  salesman  to  study  his  face  while 
he  can  carefully  observe  the  salesman. 


Subscription  Book  Salesmanship  343 

Money  and  How  much  money  a  student  makes  during 
Experience  his  summer  vacation  as  a  Book  Salesman 
depends  a  good  deal  upon  how  well  he  is 
trained  and  how  conscientiously  he  works.  The  income 
of  the  average  Book  Salesman,  working  for  a  reputable 
publishing  company  is  from  two  to  four  times  as  much 
as  he  could  make  at  anything  else.  The  Book  Salesman 
easily  earns  enough  to  pay  his  school  expenses  for  an- 
other year.  He  has  learned  to  promote  himself.  This 
gives  him  a  confidence  that  he  can  do  likewise  during  a 
lifetime. 


PREFACE 


The  following  sales  talk  was  written  by  Louis  Tennen- 
baum,  salesman  for  the  Ohio  Company,  of  Philadelphia, 
and  entered  in  a  contest  recently  conducted  by  the 
United  Electric  Company,  along  wdth  some  250  other 
manuscripts,  written  by  the  salesmen  of  this  company. 
This  manuscript  was  awarded  the  first  prize  of  $250.00. 

This  particular  talk  contains  arguments  to  overcome 
every  possible  objection  the  salesman  may  encounter  in 
selling  the  Ohio  Electric  Cleaner.  If  tactfully  presented 
it  should  bring  about  the  desired  results. 

THE  UNITED  ELECTRIC  COMPANY, 

Canton,  Ohio,  U.  S.  A. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
Model  Sales  Demonstrations 


An   Electric   Cleaner 

Outline  of  1.     The  Pre-approach. 

Model  Canvass  2.     Gaining  an  interview. 

3.     Securing  an  audience  after  an  ap- 
pointment has  been  made. 

4.  The  Demonstration. 

(a)  Introductory  conversation. 

(b)  Discussion  of  machine  proper. 

(c)  Avoiding  quotation  of  price. 

(d)  Reason  for  need  of  cleaner. 

(e)  Service. 

(f)  Gaining  confidence. 

5.  Closing  the  sale. 

(a)  Prove  cleaner  pays  for  itself. 

(b)  Prospect  doesn't  see  need  for  a  cleaner. 

(c)  Prospect  prefers  to  examine  other  makes. 

(d)  Going  away  for  the  summer. 

(e)  I  would  like  to  talk  it  over  with  my  husband. 

(f)  Opposed  to  club  plan. 

(g)  Arranging  for  future  business. 

6.  Appendix. 

The  First,  look  over  your  ground.     Get  all 

Pre-approach     possible    information    concerning    your 
prospects.      Notice   whether  the   houses 
are  new  or  old,  whether  they  were  wired  before  or  after 
the  house  was  erected. 

344 


An  Elfxtric  Cleaner  345 

Try  to  Find  To  address  one  by  name  offers  a  point 
Out  the  of  contact.    You  may  obtain  this  by  ask- 

Customer's  ing    your    last    prospect    this    question: 

Name  "Does   Mrs.   Jackson   live  next  door?" 

Your  prospect  will  then  say :  "No,  Mrs. 
Franklin  lives  next  door  and  Mrs.  Jones  lives  above  her." 

You  may  then  save  much  time  by  asking  this  same 
prospect  whether  she  can  hear  IMrs.  Franklin's  cleaner 
buzzing.  She  will  say:  "Oh,  yes.  I  saw  her  using  it 
last  week,"  or  "I  don't  think  she  has  any,"  or  "1  don't 
know  about  it." 

A  woman  is  always  anxious  to  assist  a  polite  and 
courteous  salesman  if  he  uses  tact  in  quizzing  her. 

Gaining  an     Salesman — "I  wish  to  see  Mrs.  Smith,  or 

Interview       "tell  Mrs.  Smith  that  Mr. is  here." 

Maid — "Does  Mrs.  Smith  know  }^ou?" 

Salesman — "I  think  not,  but  she  will  be  glad  to  see 
me." 

Maid— "Mrs.  Smith  is  very  busy.  May  I  take  your 
message  ?" 

Salesman — "I  would  like  to  see  Mrs.  Smith  person- 
ally." 

When  Mrs.  Smith  Answers  the  Door. 

Salesman — "Mrs.  Smith,  I  am  Mr. of  the .    I 

was  instructed  by  the  company  to  find  out  whether  you 
have  an  electric  vacuum  cleaner. 

Mrs.  Smith— "No,  I  haven't." 

Salesman — "The  company  is  going  to  have  a  special 
demonstrator  in  this  neighborhood  within  the  next  few 
days.  He  is  going  to  clean  one  carpet  in  each  home. 
The  object  of  this  advertising  campaign  is  to  acquaint 


346  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

you  with  the  merits  of  our  new  model  machine.  We 
want  to  show  you  its  advantages  so  that  when  you  are 
in  the  market  for  a  cleaner  at  some  future  time  you  will 
know  how  to  judge  one.  Remember  now,  Mrs.  Smith, 
you  will  be  under  no  obligation.  It  will  take  no  more 
than  ten  minutes.    That  will  be  satisfactory,  will  it  not?" 

Mrs.  Smith — "Yes,  you.  may  come  but  you'll  be  only 
wasting  your  time  as  I  do  not  Intend  to  buy." 

Salesman— ''Don't  worry  about  that,  Mrs.  Smith ;  I  get 
paid  for  each  demonstration  whether  I  sell  or  not.  You 
are  under  no  obligation  to  buy.  Both  of  us  benefit  by 
this  demonstration.  You  have  your  carpet  cleaned  like 
new,  merely  for  spending  ten  minutes  in  looking  over 
the  machine  and  I  get  paid  every  time  I  demonstrate  it." 

Securing  an  Salesman  (smiling) — ''Good  morning, 

Audience  After  Mrs.  Smith.  I  just  stopped  in  to  show 
an  Appointment  you  the  new  model  cleaner  which  I 
Has  Been  Made  promised  to  demonstrate.  You  can 
spare  ten  minutes  now,  can't  you?" 

Mrs.  Smith — "I  am  very  busy  this  morning  and 
haven't  time  to  look  at  your  cleaner." 

Salesman — "Very  well,  Mrs.  Smith.  If  you  are  busy 
I  will  not  take  your  time.  I  shall  probably  come  back  to 
this  neighborhood  to-morrow  and  if  I  do  will  call  on 
you  then.  It  would,  of  course,  save  me  considerable 
time  if  you  would  look  at  it  now,  but  if  you  are  very 
busy,  I  can  arrange  to  come  later  to  suit  your  conveni- 
ence. No  one  is  too  busy  to  give  any  offer  that  is  to 
her  advantage  at  least  ten  minutes  of  her  attention.  It 
will  take  a  very  short  time  to  show  it  to  you  now.     So 


An  Electric  Cleaner  347 

if  you  can  spare  ten  minutes,  I  will  come  in  and  show 
my  machine  now,  if  I  may/' 

(As  you  ask  this  question  take  a  slight  step  forward 
as  if  starting  to  pick  up  cleaner.  In  other  words,  act  as 
if  you  expect  to  be  Invited  in.) 

(Of  course  if  it  is  evident  that  the  lady  called  upon 
is  busy,  you  should  not  insist  upon  having  an  interviev/ 
but  should  make  a  definite  engagement  to  show  her  the 
cleaner  at  another  time.  By  making  engagements  you 
can  provide  for  future  work  which  will  be  free  from  the 
dread  of  approaching  strange  houses.) 

The  (a)     Introductory  conversation. 

Demonstration  As  soon  as  salesman  enters  the  home, 
he  should  ask  what  carpet  she  has 
been  saving  for  him.  While  attaching  the  plug  he  should 
be  sure  to  keep  up  some  sort  of  conversation.  He 
should  ask  such  questions  as : 

''Have  you  ever  used  a  machine  before?" 

"You  have  seen  this  machine  advertised  in  Good 
Housekeeping,  Ladies'  Home  Journal,  The  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  Pictorial  Review,  House  and  Garden,  etc., 
haven't  you?" 

(By  such  leading  questions,  you  find  out  what  your 
prospect  knows  about  cleaners  in  general.  Moreover  if 
she  expects  to  be  asked  questions  during  the  demonstra- 
tion, she  will  be  compelled  to  give  closer  attention.) 

After  the  machine  is  ready  for  use  give  the  following 
talk: 


,34:8  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

Demonstration.  "Mrs.  Smith,  this  nozzle  can*  be  ad- 
of  Machine  justed  to  any  rug.     By  means  of  this 

Proper  screw  you  are  able  to  adjust  it   for 

long  or  short  nap  or  for  the  base 
floor.  Always  make  sure  that  this  nozzle  is  raised  at 
least  one-eighth  of  an  inch  above  the  surface  of  the 
carpet.  This  allows  the  rug  to  rest  upon  a  cushion  of 
air.  In  this  way  we  are  positive  that  the  air  is  coming 
through  the  rug  and  thoroughly  removing  the  daily  ac- 
cumulation of  dirt,  sand,  moths  and  larvae  into  this 
double  dust  proof  bag." 

(Here  show  that  the  bag  is  clean.) 

(As  soon  as  possible,  place  the  handle  of  the  cleaner 
into  the  customer's  hand.  See  that  the  handle  is  at  the 
right  angle  with  the  floor  in  order  to  make  it  easy  to 
push.     Move  chairs,  .tables,  etc.,  out  of  her  way.) 

Salesman — "Do  you  see  the  colors  of  the  carpet 
brighten  up  ?"  "Don't  you  find  it  easier  to  operate  than 
a  broom?" 


Avoiding        Mrs.  Smith — "How  much  does  it  cost?" 
Quotation      Salesman-^"That,     Mrs.     Smith,    depends 
of  Price  upon  what  model  you  select  and  what  plan 

you  adopt  in  purchasing  it.  There  are  sev- 
eral difl:erent  ways  of  bu}'ing  this  machine  which  I  will 
explain  later.  The  price  is  so  easily  handled  that  you 
will  consider  it  a  small  matter  when  you  know  what 
this  cleaner  really  is." 

(The  salesman  should  go  on  with  his  talk  and  pay  no 
more  attention  to  price.  Always  avoid  prices  at  the  be- 
ginning of  an  interview  as  this  throws  cold  water  on  a 


An  Electric  Cleaner  349 


sale.  It  prevents  the  customer  from  seeing  anything  but 
the  price.) 

(After  rug  has  been  entirely  gone  over.) 

Salesman — "Now  let  us  empty  the  bag  to  see  just  how 
much  dust  we  have  removed  from  your  rug." 

(At  this  point  the  salesman  should  point  out  the  ex- 
clusive features  of  the  cleaner.) 

After  bag  is  emptied  salesman  should  ask  (surpris- 
mgly)  when  carpet  was  last  cleaned. 

Reasons  for  Salesman — "Mrs.  Smith,  the  only  way 
Need  of  to  get  such  a  quantity  of  dirt  out  of  a 

Cleaner  rug  is  with  a  cleaner.     When  you  used 

the  broom  the  other  day,  you  merely 
took  the  dust  off  the  surface  and  left  this  little  pile  in- 
side at  the  base  of  the  fibres.  Every  time  you  walked 
across  this  carpet,  the  fine  sand  which  is  as  sharp  as 
glass  cut  the  nap  at  the  base." 

(Here  the  salesman  should  hold  up  his  hand,  let  his 
fingers  represent  the  nap  of  the  carpet  and  then  by  point- 
ing at  the  base  of  the  fingers,  show  how  the  sharp  sand 
would  cut  off  the  nap.) 

"How  long  do  you  expect  to  have  rugs  last  if  this 
process  is  continued?  With  a  cleaner,  your  rugs  will 
last  just  three  times  as  long;  it  will  pay  actual  returns 
in  dollars  and  cents  saved  in  wear  and  tear  of  your 
carpets. 

"The  strain  on  the  muscles,  the  smudge  and  utter  un- 
cleanliness  of  the  whole  process  of  broom  sweeping,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  unsanitary  phases,  would  seem  to 
warrant  your  going  to  any  reasonable  expense  to  over- 
come such  a  nuisance.     Rug  cleaning  with  an  Electric 


350  Science  and  Art  oe  Selling 

Cleaner  is  changed  instantly  from  the  disagreeable,  dirt}^ 
work  of  shaking  or  beating  them  in  the  open  air,  with 
the  dust,*  dirt  and  filth  blowing  back  into  your  face,  to 
an  interesting  task  of  moving  this  light  cleaner  over  the 
carpets*  surface  and  watching  colors  of  the  pattern 
brighten  up,  as  the  cleaner  draws  out  the  accumulated 
grime,  leaving  them  bright  and  clean  in  their  natural 
colors." 

(At  this  point  the  salesman  should  either  demonstrate 
the  attachments  or  show  by  picture  just  how  they  work.) 

Service        (Show  factory  guarantee.) 

"The  machine  is  guaranteed  against  defective 
.material  and  workmanship.    Those  parts  which  are  sub- 
ject to  excessive  wear  are  so  constructed  that  they  can 
be  easily  and  quickly  replaced  at  small  cost  by  our  own 
service  man. 

"The  Service  Department  of  our  company  looks  after 
the  interest  of  every  customer  from  the  moment  the  sale 
is  made.  Our  service  man  comes  to  your  home  every 
six  months  to  inspect  your  machine.  He  sees  that  it  is 
properly  oiled,  greased  and  adjusted.  We  make  sure 
that  your  cleaner  is  kept  in  the  highest  condition  of 
operating  efficiency  at  all  times." 

Gaining  (At  this  point,  salesman  should  show.) 

Confidence     1.     Local  newspaper  ads. 

2.     Full  page  ads  from  Good  Housekeeping 
Magazine,  Saturday  Evening  Post,  etc. 

3.  Name,  location  of  offices,  service  station,  etc. 

4.  Tell  how  long  we  have  been  in  business. 
•     5.     Show  eight  or  ten  of  your  last  sales. 


An  Electric  Cleaner  351 

Closing  the  Salesman — "Mrs.  Smith,  I  really  don't  see 
Sale  how    you    have    gotten    along    without    a 

cleaner." 

Mrs.  Smith — -"I  always  thought  cleaners  were  so  ex- 
pensive that  I  could  not  afford  to  buy  one." 

Salesman — "The  question  is  not  whether  you  can 
afford  to  get  one,  but  whether  in  these  times  of  scarcity, 
of  help,  expensive  rugs,  etc.,  you  can  afford  to  be  with- 
out one. 

"I  can  actually  prove  to  you  that  this  cleaner  will  pay 
for  itself  within  a  very  short  time.  If  you  get  a  cleaner, 
you  will  save  your  strength  (which  is  priceless,)  cost  of 
replacing  rugs,  and  your  time. 

"Out  of  these  three  items,  we  v/ill  merely  take  one  for 
illustration — your  time. 

Prove  Cleaner  "We  have  learned  by  analysis  that  the 
Pays  for  average  woman   spends  more  than   150 

Itself  hours  per  year  cleaning  her  carpets  by 

the  old  method.  Let  us  be  conservative 
and  reduce  it  to  100  hours  per  year;  that  will  be  2  hours 
per  week,  50  weeks  to  the  year.  Those  who  use  vacuum 
cleaners  spend  less  than  25  hours  per  year  at  cleaning 
carpets.  Therefore  25  hours  with  the  cleaner  equals 
100  hours  with  the  broom.  A  difference  of  75  hours 
per  year  saved  by  using  our  up-to-date  method. 

"Now,  Mrs.  Smith,  you  are  in  the  biggest  business  in 
the  world — 'Housekeeping.'  You  are  entitled  to  pay. 
Suppose  for  illustrative  purposes  you  withdrew  from  the 
house  treasury  35c  for  every  hour  of  this  disagreeable 
work. 


352  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

"By  cutting  off  75  hours  a  year  with  a  vacuum  cleaner, 
you  could  save  75  times  35c  or  $25.25  per  year  for  the 
family  treasury.  In  ten  years,  which  is  the  life  of  the 
machine,  you  will  save  $252.50.  That  is  just  the  way 
your  husband  or  any  business  man  would  look  at  a 
proposition  like  this. 

"Mrs.  Smith,  if  I  should  ask  you  $300.00  for  this 
machine  it  would  be  well  worth  it.    Wouldn't  it  ?" 

"The  price  of  the  machine  complete  is — —cash,  or 


on  the  club  plan.     Cash,   is  $ down,  balance  in  30 

days,  club  plan  is  $ down  and  $ per  month  until 

paid  for." 

(Salesman  should  pull  out  his  pencil  and  contracts.) 

Salesman — "When  you  get  this  machine,  would  you 
prefer  to  get  it  on  the  cash  or  club  plan?" 


Prospect  Doesn't   Mrs.  Smith — "I  don't  know  as  I  care 
See  Need  for  for  any  at  all.     I  have  gone  without 

Cleaner  one  for  the  past  20  years  and  I  think 

I  can  still  do  without  one  now." 

Salesman — "That  may  be  true,  Mrs.  Smith.  Your 
great-grandmother  used  wash  basins  to  wash  in,  candles 
for  light,  and  open  fire  place  for  heat,  but  I  notice  tha^ 
you  have  modern  plumbing,  modern  heating,  modern 
ventilation  and  electric  lights.  Then  why  don't  you  have 
a  modem  cleaning  system  or  do  you  still  want  to  use 
ancient  cleaning  methods  of  your  ancestors  ?" 


An  Electric  Cleaner  353 

Prospect  Prefers  Mrs.  Smith — "Oh,  I  am  going  to  look 
to  Examine  around  at  other  machines  before  I  de- 

Other  Makes  cide.     This  is  the  first  machine  that  I 

have  inspected." 

Salesman — "That  is  a  wise  thing  to  do.  You  buy  a 
cleaner  every  ten  years  and  when  you  do  get  one,  you 
naturally  want  the  best  that  money  can  buy." 

(At  this  point  the  salesman  should  lay  on  the  table 
the  pictures  of  competitive  cleaners.  He  should  then  by 
comparison  show  the  difference  in  the  switch,  handle, 
bag,  brush,  etc.  In  doing  this,  however,  he  should  avoid 
making  disparaging  statements,  commonly  called,  "knock- 
ing." 

There  is  an  important  difference  between  "knocking" 
and  making  fair  comparisons.  When  the  customer  first 
alludes  to  competing  cleaners  the  salesman's  aim  should 
be  to  emphasize  the  points  of  superiority  in  his  own, 
rather  than  to  show  that  his  competitors*  are  of  poor  or 
inferior  quality.  He  can  cheerfully  admit  that  the  com- 
peting goods  have  points  in  their  favor,  if  at  the  same 
time  he  takes  care  to  show  the  superior  merits  of  his 
own. 

Going  Away  Mrs.  Smith — "Suppose  you  call  again;  I 
for  the  am  going  away  for  the  summer." 

Summer  Salesman — "You  must  have  a  machine 

to  clean  your  rugs  before  putting  them 
away.  It  will  be  more  pleasant  for  you  to  come  back 
to  a  clean  house  next  fall. 

"Why  do  you  place  your  order  for  coal  now?  Why 
do  you  can  cherries  now?  You  will  use  neither  cherries 
nor  coal  until  next  winter,  but  you  find  that  now  is  the 


35J:  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

best  time  to  buy  both  cherries  and  coal.  In  the  same 
way  now  is  the  best  and  only  time  to  get  a  cleaner.  I 
am  right  here  on  the  spot  and  can  take  your  order. 

"The  machine  which  I  have  been  demonstrating  is 
practically  new.  Do  you  want  this  one  or  would  you 
rather  have  me  send  one  up  in  a  box?" 

(At  this  point  the  salesman  should  begin  to  fill  out 
the  contract.  He  should  not  wait  for  an  answer,  but  act 
as  if  the  sale  were  closed.) 

"I  Would  Like  Mrs.   Smith— *T  think  that  I   will 

to  Talk  It  Over  some  day  get  a  cleaner,  but  would 

with  My  Husband"     like  to  talk  the  matter  over  with 

my  husband." 

Salesman — 'Tn  every  good  home  the  husband  can 
surely  leave  to  his  wife's  judgment  the  expenditure  of 
17c  per  day.  Your  husband  would  no  more  think  of 
advising  you  in  this  matter  than  he  w^ould  in  advising 
you  on  the  purchase  of  other  household  necessities  such 
as  kitchen  utensils,  lace  curtains,  or  linen.  This  is  purely 
your  proposition,  as  3  0u.are  the  one  who  will  use  the 
cleaner.  Your  husband  reposes  the  utmost  confidence 
in  you,  otherwise  he  would  not  have  entrusted  you  with 
the  management  of  his  house. 

"Doubtless  he  smokes  and  you  know^  that  he  could 
not  object  to  your  spending  a  few  cents  a  day,  less  than 
the  cost  of  one  cigar. 

"Since  you  and  your  husband  w^ork  together  so  har- 
moniously, you  of  course  know  how  he  would  feel  to- 
ward such  a  proposition,  and  you  know  that  he  would 
be  proud  of  your  judgment  in  selecting  it.  Your  hus- 
band does  not  bring  his  business  worries  home  to  you, 


An  Electric  Cleaner  355 

for  he  realizes  that  the  burden  would  simply  be  doubled. 
You  are  to  decide  this  for  yourself  because  this  is  the 
responsibility  that  he  has  shifted  to  you. 

"In  our  experience  it  is  exceptional  for  a  woman  not 
to  act  on  her  own  judgment.  You  know  your  husband 
well  enough  to  know  just  about  what  he  will  say. 

"We  are  not  allowed  to  waste  time  making  back  calls, 
so  it  is  up  to  you  to  decide  now. 

"Your  'Next'  payment  will  be  due  a  month  from  to- 
day or  would  you  want  to  pay  cash  ?" 

Opposed  to  Mrs.  Smith — ''I  never  purchase  anything 
Club  Plan  on  the  installment  plan.  I  would  rather 
wait  till  I  have  the  cash  and  get  the  ma- 
chine then.*' 

Salesman^ — "If  you  wait  until  you  have  $ cash  for 

a  cleaner,  you  are  likely  never  to  get  one.  Now  by  this 
plan  you  can  be  using  the  cleaner  and  in  a  few  months 
it  will  be  paid  for  and  you  hardly  miss  the  money.  .  I  am 
sure  you  would  not  let  such  a  trivial  objection  stand  in 
the  way.  Don't  we  pay  for  almost  everything  by  the 
month  after  all?  This  is  the  way  we  take  care  of  our 
insurance,  telephone,  light  and  grocery  bills.  You  pay 
very  little  more  by  the  club  plan  and  have  your  own 
time  In  which  to  pay  it,  besides  having  the  use  of  it  at 
once.  How  many  people  would  have  homes  of  their 
own  if  they  waited  to  pay  cash  In  full  for  them.  And 
where  would  be  the  economy  of  waiting,  when  the  rent 
money  might  just  as  well  be  applied  on  the  title  of  the 
house  ?" 

"Now,  Mrs.  Smith,  we  are  merely  putting  our  propo- 
sition on  the  same  basis  as  that  upon  which  most  of  the 


356  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

reputable  business  in  the  country  is  run.  Besides,  this  is 
a  woman's  way  of  saving.  You  can  have  this  cleaner  in 
this  way  without  having  to  ask  your  husband  for  any 
more  money.  You  know  how  it  is  when  you  want  some- 
thing extra.  You  just  save  a  little  as  you  can  from  your 
household  expense.  It  is  in  such  ways  as  these  that  a 
womsLU  has  a  chance  to  show  how  good  a  manager  she 
is. 

"If  you  have  never  tried  the  club  plan  before,  try  it 
now.  Tm  sure  you'll  never  regret  it.  Suppose,  then,  I 
leave  this  machine.  I  will  give  you  a  receipt  for  your 
first  payment  which  is  due  now. 

"This  is  the  24th  of  the  month,  isn't  it?" 
■  Mrs.  Smith— "Yes." 

Salesman — "Your  next  payment  will  be  due  at  the 
office  a  month  from  to-day." 

(After  the  sale  is  closed,  salesman  should  go  over  the 
main  features  of  the  machine  again.  He  should  instruct 
the  prospect  on  the  oiling,  adjusting  of  the  nozzle, 
handle,  removing  of  the  bag  and  brush.  He  should  see 
to  it  that  the  prospect  can  do  all  these  things  herself 
before  leaving,  He  should  have  the  prospect  put  on  and 
take  off  the  attachments  herself.) 

Arranging  Salesman — "Mrs.  Smith,  I  want  to  thank 
for  Future  you  for  your  order.  I  know  that  you  will 
Business  be  more  than  pleased  with  your  purchase. 
I  will  be  back  to  see  you  in  ten  days  to 
answer  any  questions  you  may  care  to  ask  concerning 
the  machine.  Meanwhile  show  it  to  your  friends  as  I 
would  like  to  get  their  opinion  of  it  when  I  return." 


An   Electric   Cleaner  357 

(It  is  much  easier  to  sell  her  friends  ten  days  later 
after  your  prospect  has  had  a  good  chance  to  use  it  and 
is  thereby  able  to  give  it  a  stronger  endorsement.) 


MAKING  A  PAINT  SALE 

Approach       "Good  morning,  you  are  Mr.  Brown?" 

Attention       "Yes." 

Interest  "My  name  is  Salisbury.    I  am  representing 

the    Blank    Paint    Company,    of    Council 

Bluffs,  Iowa.     We  sell  paints  and  varnishes,  directly  to 

the  user.    I  presume  you  are  going  to  do  some  painting 

this  year?" 

"No,  I  don't  think  I  will." 

"Don't  you  think  your  house  needs  paint?" 

"Oh,  yes,  but  it  can  stand  it  a  while  longer." 

Conviction  "Mr.  Brown,  you  cannot  afford  to  let  this 
good  house  stand  another  year.  Your 
house  needs  paint.  The  boards  will  begin  to  weather 
crack  and  draw  the  nails.  This  makes  it  impossible  to 
ever  get  the  building  back  into  first-class  condition." 

Desire  "What  is  your  paint  worth?" 

"We  have  two  grades;  we  sell  very  little 
of  the  second  grade.  Ninety-eight  percent  of  our  sales 
are  the  first  grade.    This  grade  is  worth  $4.00  a  gallon." 

"Your  price  is  too  high ;  I  can  buy  of  the  Black  Paint 
Company  for  $3.00  a  gallon." 

"Yes,  that  is  right,  Mr.  Brown,  our  second  grade  is 
$2.98,  but  Mr.  Brown,  you  cannot  afford  to  use  that 
grade  of  paint,  for  the  reason  that  it  costs  too  much. 


358  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

We  guarantee  that  five  gallons  of  our  best  Pure  Lead, 
Zinc  and  Linseed  Oil,  with  a  little  dryer,  will  cover  as 
much  surface  as  seven  gallons  of  the  second  grade  of 
the  poorer  quality.  Five  gallons  at  $4.00  will  cost  but 
$20.00,  while  seven  gallons  of  the  second  grade  at  $3.00 
will  cost  $2 LOO.  Then,  the  first  grade  will  last  longer 
and  it  works  easier  under  the  brush." 

"Well,  your  paint  may  be  all  right,  but  I  will  wait  and 
buy  later  as  I  will  not  paint  until  fall." 

"But,  Mr.  Brown,  you  will  no  doubt  paint  some  time 
this  summer." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  I  will." 

"About  what  time  do  you  think  you  will  paint  ?" 

"Not  before  September." 

"Then  you  should  have  your  paint  shipped  not  later 
than  August  15th." 

"What  makes  the  difference  in  the  price  of  paint?" 

"The  difference  is  in  the  cost  of  raw  material.  You 
see  the  paint  is  made  up  of  two  parts,  the  pigment  and 
the  vehicle.  The  pigment  is  the  Lead,  Zinc,  Whiting,  or 
any  solid  that  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  paint.  The 
vehicle  is  the  liquid  portion." 

"What  IS  used  for  paint  pigment  ?" 

"Carbonate  Lead,  Sulphate  or  Sublimed  Lead,  Zinc, 
Calcium  Sulphate,  Asbestine,  Calcium  Carbonate,  Sili- 
cate, Barium  Sulphate,  and  a  few  others  that  are  used 
very  little." 

"Which  are  the  best?" 

"Lead  Carbonate,  Sulphate  of  Lead  and  Zinc." 

"What  about  the  rest  you  mentioned?" 

"They  are  termed  'inert;'  that  is,  they  add  nothing  to 
the  paint.     Calcium  Carbonate,  for  instance,  is  only  a 


An  Electric  Cleaner  359 

different  name  for  whiting.  None  of  these  inert  pig- 
ments will  cover  well,  in  fact,  they  will  hardly  cover  at 
all.  You  can  see,  Mr.  Brown,  why  a  low  priced  paint 
will  not  go  as  far  as  the  better  grade." 

"How  much  of  these  inert  pigments  do  you  use?" 

"None  at  all  in  our  T.  V.  B.  Paint." 

"How  do  these  inert  pigments  lower  the  price  of 
paints  ?" 

"To-day,  White  Lead  costs  ten  cents  a  pound  in  car- 
load lots;  Silicate  costs  two  cents  a  pound.  Then  there 
is  another  way  of  making  a  paint  cheaper.  Put  in  a 
portion  of  Petroleum  Oil  in  place  of  Linseed  Oil.  Some 
manufacturers  put  in  a  solution  which  is  the  same  as 
water." 

"Kow  much  water  do  you  use  in  your  paint?" 

Desire         "We  use  90%  Linseed  Oil  and  10%  Dryer." 

"I  guess  you  know  something  about  the  paint 
business,  but " 

"Mr.  Brown,  you  have  decided  to  paint  sometime  this 
year.  You  know  shipments  are  moving  slowly.  It  will 
take  ten  gallons  of  paint  and  four  gallons  of  Linseed 
Oil  to  complete  your  job." 

"Are  you  sure  that  is  enough  ?" 

"Of  course,  no  one  can  tell  exactly,  but  I  have  sold 
hundreds  of  jobs,  and  those  are  the  figures  we  always 
give  on  this  size  building." 

Close  "Oh,  I  guess " 

"Mr.  Brown,  you  know  we  have  gone  into 
this  matter  in  detail,  and  yoii  are  sure  to  be  pleased  with 
T.  V.  B.  Paint.     You  had  better  have  this  order  come 


360  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

at  once.  The  cost  will  be  $50.00  even.  If  you  give 
your  check  with  the  order  we  give  you  3%  discount, 
which  means  $1.50  on  this  order." 

"Well,  all  right,  let  it  come." 

"Just  O.  K.  the  check  on  this  line.  You  will  be  pleased 
with  our  paint,  Mr.  Brown.  If  you  should  need  any- 
thing more  before  I  get  back,  just  write  the  Company, 
they  will  give  you  good  service." 

"All  right." 

"Good  day,  Mr.  Brown." 


SPECIALTY  SELLING  TALK 
Sales  Talk  on  Combination  Brush  Set 

As  I  approach  the  house  of  my  prospective  customer 
I  endeavor  to  look  pleasant,  and  I  am  absolutely  deter- 
mined that  I  am  going  to  make  the  sale.  I  have  confi- 
dence in  myself  and  in  the  article  I  am  selling,  and  never 
once  let  the  thought  of  failure  suggest  itself  to  my 
mind. 

Approach  I  ring  the  door  bell,  or  in  the  absence  of  a 
bell  I  knock  briskly  on  the  door  and  wait 
for  the  lady  to  appear.  I  stand  back  about  three  feet, 
and  a  little  to  one  side  so  she  will  have  to  open  the  door 
quite  wide  in  order  to  see  me.  When  she  appears  at 
the  door,  I  lift  my  hat,  smile  pleasantly  and  begin : 
"Good  morning,' madam,  are  you  Mrs.  Jones?  My  nan\e 
is  Austin — I  am  demonstrating  a  little  household  neces- 
sity which  saves  every  user  a  great  deal  of  time  and 
hard  work." 


An  Electric  Cleaner  361 

Attention  Just  at  this  point  I  make  a  motion  which 
indicates  that  I  desire  to  enter  the  house 
and  say,  'Td  Hke  five  to  ten  minutes  to  show  you  what 
this  article  will  do  for  you."  As  I  go  in  I  keep  talking 
all  the  time  to  hold  her  attention  and  keep  her  from 
thinking  of  objections  that  will  make  it  difficult  for  me 
to  make  the  sale.  I  then  open  my  little  sample  case, 
remove  the  large  sweeping  brush  and  proceed  as  follows : 

Interest  "The  outfit  consists  of  a  combination  brush 

set  which  is  one  of  the  most  convenient 
articles  you  can  have  about  the  house,  and  which  pleases 
every  woman  who  uses  it."  While  I  say  this  I  am  re- 
moving the  large  sweeping  brush  from  the  sample  case. 
I  then  continue:  *'ThIs  brush  you  see,  madam,  is  the 
sweeping  brush.  The  fibre  is  just  stiff  enough  to  make 
it  sweep  properly,  and  yet  not  stiff  enough  to  wear  your 
carpets  and  rugs  like  the  sweeping  brooms  which  most 
women  use."  I  then  remove  the  handle  from  the  case 
and  explain :  "You  see  this  handle  can  be  instantly  at- 
tached or  detached.  It  is  made  this  way  so  it  can  be 
used  with  the  other  brushes  which  I  will  show  you  later." 

Conviction  "Now,  madam,  just  take  that  brush  and  try 
sweeping  with  it.  Isn't  that  the  best  sweep- 
ing brush  you  ever  saw?  Did  you  ever  see  a  brush  or 
broom  that  will  clean  up  the  dirt  like  this  brush  will? 
Notice  how  the  end  brushes  are  flared  out,  making  it 
possible  to  sweep  right  up  in  the  corner — something  you 
cannot  do  with  a  broom.  The  handle  can  be  adjusted 
so  you  can  sweep  the  mantel  shelf,  under  the  bed,  under 
the  dresser,  around  the  moulding  and  in  fact  every  place 


3G2  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

in  the  house."  (Of  course,  I  would  show  her  how  all 
these  things  could  be  done.)  "Did  you  ever  see  a  better 
invention  than  that?"  I  then  remove  the  extension 
handle,  attach  it  to  the  other  one,  and  continue:  "You 
will  see  with  this  extension  you  can  clean  your  wall 
paper,  sweep  the  ceiling,  hang  pictures  and  do  any  num- 
ber of  things  with  it.  Did  you  ever  see  anything  as 
handy  as  that  before?" 

Then  I  turn  to  my  sample  case  and  remove  the  scrub 
brush.  "This,  you  see,  madam,  is  the  scrub  brush.  With 
this  brush  you  can  scrub  your  porches  while  wearing 
your  good  clothes,  if  you  want  to  do  that.  The  fibre  is 
stiffer  than  the  fibre  in  the  sweeping  brush  and  will  do  the 
work  in  an  excellent  manner.  The  extension  handle 
makes  it  an  easy  matter  for  you  to  scrub  your  porch 
ceilings,  and  other  high  places  without  the  back-break- 
ing, methods  usually  employed.  Some  of  the  women 
tell  me  this  part  of  the  set  alone  is  more  of  a  labor  saver 
than  the  rest  of  the  set  combined." 

"The  next  part  of  the  brush  set  I  want  to  show  you 
is  the  window  washer  and  dryer.  The  one  task  which 
is  particularly  distasteful  to  the  housewife  or  hired  girl 
is  washing  the  outside  windows.  You  get  out  in  the 
cold,  put  your  hands  in  the  water  which  causes  them  to 
crack  and  get  sore.  The  water  runs  down  your  sleeves, 
and  you  are  likely  to  catch  a  bad  cold.  All  this  is  elim- 
inated by  using  our  window  washer  and  dryer.  You 
see  this  brush  is  used  for  washing  windows,  and  then 
you  simply  turn  it  over  and  use  the  rubber  dryer  for 
drying  them.  It  is  easy  to  wash  your  outside  windows 
with  this  outfit  and  you  never  once  put  your  hands  in 
the  water.    You  do  it  more  quickly  too. 


An  Electric  Cleaner  363 

Desire  "Now,  madam,  this  brush  set  will  wonder- 
fully lighten  your  work,  will  save  your  car- 
pets and  rugs,  will  keep  your  wall  paper  looking  cleaner 
and  neater,  will  make  it  easy  for  you  to  scrub  your 
porches  and  porch  ceilings,  and  will  enable  you  to  wash 
your  windows  easily  and  quickly.  Can  you  imagine  a 
better  or  more  useful  household  article  than  that  ?  At 
the  present  price  of  brooms  you  spend  at  least  seven  or 
eight  dollars  in  two  years  and  also  wear  out  your  car- 
pets and  rugs.  This  sweeping  brush  alone  will  save  you 
the  price  of  several  brooms  to  say  nothing  of  the  other 
brushes  in  the  outfit. 

Resolve  "Isn't  that  a  good  proposition?  Many  of  my 
customers  tell  me  they  wouldn't  be  without  it 
if  it  cost  twice  as  much  as  I  ask  for  it,  and  you  would 
naturally  expect  an  article  that  saves  you  all  that  time, 
trouble  and  money  to  cost  you  a  lot  of  money,  wouldn't 
you?  But  the  price  is  only  $2.65  for  the  complete  set. 
Each  brush  is  absolutely  guaranteed  for  two  years.  They 
will  last  much  longer  than  that. 

Close  "I  expect  to  be  making  deliveries  in  this  part 

of  town  next  Monday  and  Tuesday?  How 
would  that  time  suit  you?  You  won't  be  home  then? 
All  right,  I  have  two  or  three  sets  to  deliver  to-morrow 
evening,  and  can  bring  yours  at  that  time — is  that  satis- 
factory? All  right,  I'll  be  here  between  seven  and  eight 
o'clock.  Thank  you,  madam.  I  know  you  are  going  to 
be  delighted  with  that  outfit  because  so  many  other 
women  have  told  me  it  is  the  best  thing  they  ever  used. 
Good  day." 


364  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 


LIFE  INSURANCE  SELLING  TALK  FOR  A 
ONE  MAN  BUSINESS 

Approach        (Preceded  by  a  mail  sales  letter.) 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Smith.  My  name  is 
Jones.  Did  you  receive  a  letter  recently  from  the  North- 
ern Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  about  insurance 
for  business  men?  Well,  the  company  asked  me  to  call 
on  you  and  explain  some  of  the  reasons  why  life  insur- 
ance is  of  so  much  importance  to  men  in  business ;  how  it 
protects  the  business,  creates  credit  and  increases  your 
family  estate." 

"But  I  have  insurance  now." 

Interest  "Yes?     Well,   I  seldom  meet  a  man  who 

doesn't  carry  some  insurance.  But  you 
know,  Mr.  Smith,  insurance  protection  that  was  consid- 
ered adequate  five  years  ago  is  not  sufficient  to-day.  You 
knov/  the  value  of  the  dollar  has  depreciated  and  you 
should  have  more  insurance  to  equalize  the  depreciation. 
And  then,  too,  as  a  man  grows  in  business  his  obligations 
and  liabilities  increase.  Half  our  new  business  written 
last  year  was  from  our  old  policy-holders  increasing  their 
insurance.  Forward  looking  men  know  that  it  is  a  safe, 
secure  Investment  and  that  nothing  can  ever  Interfere 
with  It." 

Conviction  "Men  are  in  business  to  make  money,  to 
provide  for  the  family,  educate  the  children 
and  build  up  an  estate.  So  long  as  the  business  prospers, 
the  family  welfare  Is  secure.  The  question  is:  What 
provision  have  you  made  to  guarantee  the  family  welfare 


An  Electric  Cleaner  365 

for  the  future  in  case  of  death?  Bradstreet  and  Dun 
reports  show  that  in  most  cases  a  one  man  business  is 
wiped  out  by  the  loss  of  the  owner,  because  the  Habili- 
ties  exceed  the  assets  and  the  family  is  left  without  re- 
sources- Elihu  Root  well  says:  'The  surest  and  most 
certain  way  to  provide  a  definite  fixed  sum  of  money 
for  the  family  estate  Is  by  means  of  Life  Insurance/ 
Nothing  can  ever  interfere  with  it ;  it  is  sure  to  be  there 
when  needed." 

"You  say  you  have  $2,000  insurance,  Mr.  Smith?" 

"Yes." 

"I  believe  you  have  a  mortgage  on  the  building?" 

"Yes,  $2500." 

"You  have  perhaps  a  thousand  dollars  owing  on  stock, 
etc?" 

"Yes,  about  that." 

"And  only  $2,000  insurance.  You  will  agree,  Mr. 
Smith,  that  you  need  more  protection  to  make  yourself 
safe. 

Desire  "I  have  prepared  an  estimate  on  a  contract 
for  $8,000  which  would  make  your  estate  an 
even  $10,000,  a  conservative  estimate  I  think  for  a  man 
in  your  position.  x\n  annual  deposit  of  less  than  3%  of 
the  principal  puts  you  in  immediate  benefit  for  the  full 
sum.  After  twenty  years  your  accumulated  dividends 
will  wipe  out  the  cost  of  insurance." 

"Here  is  what  this  contract  will  do  for  you,  Mr.  Smith. 

(Here  I  begin  to  use  a  pad  and  fountain  pen  to  write 
out  the  headings  which  appear  below  in  capitals,  filling 
in  between  with  oral  explanation  of  each  heading.) 


3G6  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

"It  will  create  a  TEN  THOUSAND  DOLLAR  ES- 
TATE at  once  for  you  free  and  clear  and  is  not  taxable. 

"It  will  increase  YOUR  CREDIT  STANDING  with 
other  business  firms.  Manufacturers  and  wholesalers 
are  more  liberal  in  credit  concessions  and  more  patient 
regarding  collections  when  they  know  your  estate  is  pro- 
tected with  ample  hfe  insurance. 

''It  will  build  you  gradually  an  INCREASING  SINK- 
ING FUND  for  future  use  in  business.  In  the  financial 
depression  of  1907  millions  were  loaned  to  business  men 
on  the  collateral  security  of  their  life  insurance  policies, 
when  banks  were  calling,  in  place  of  making  loans. 

"It  will  increase  CONFIDENCE  AT  YOUR  BANK 
and  facilitate  endorsing  your  paper  when  necessary." 

"In  doing  these  things,  Mr.  Smith,  you  are  sur- 
rounding your  business  with  a  bulwark  of  guaranteed 
financial  protection  that  is  sure  in  its  results.  It  is  a 
safety  wall  against  the  mortgage  and  all  your  obli- 
gations in  case  of  death,  and  the  only  time  you  can 
get  this  protection  is  when  you  are  in  good  health." 

Close  I  have  an  application  blank  convenient  to  hand 

partially  filled  out  and  as  I  write  ask :  "Have 
I  your  age  correct,  Mr.  Smith?"  If  he  replies  in  the 
affirmative  I  ask  whether  he  prefers  to  have  the  medical 
examiner  call  during  the  day  or  in  the  evening. 


INDEX 

The  Science  and  Art  of  Selling 

A 

Accounting,  Salesmen  should  know 29 

Accurate  accounting,  need  of... 25 

A  bad  approach _ 184 

A  courteous  contrast ;--- ---     168 

Act,  impulse  to.- - -       60 

Action,  Emotional  appeals  excite 60 

A  discourteous  merchant , 167 

Advertising  and  business  letter  writing 91 

Counsel 304,305 

Eliminating  middlemen  through. 15 

A  far-reaching  principle 119  to  121 

Affirmatives,  Observe  the 162 

America  a  commercial  nation 79 

Analysis  necessary 95 

Of  sales 293  to  3 18 

An  effective  argument 166 

Electric  cleaner 344  to  366 

Appeal,  The  ear 66,  67 

Through  as  many  senses  as  possible 73 

To  spirit  of  ownership 151 

To  the  eye.. 64 

Applied  psychology ^ 55 

Approach,  A  bad..^ 184 

Customer  with  interest 198 

How;  to. :.     267 

Self-interest.. - 112 

The  N.  C.  R... 1 13 

A  real  salesman 95,  96 

Argument,  An  effective 166 

Arousing  interest 1 19,  261 

Arranging  for  future  business 356 

A  salesman's  most  vital  work . 63 

A  satisfied  customer 307 

A  striking  illustration : 150,  151 

A  successful  method 157,  159 

Attend  to  your  proposition... 110 

Attention... 238 

Auto-suggestion,  Importance  of 187 

Avoid  all  negative  suggestions 186 

Double  negatives 209 

Mistakes : 215 

Waste 215 

Avoiding  quotation  of  price 348 

367 


B 

Basic  law  of  human  nature. 9 

Principle  in  salesmanship 41,  42 

Principle  violated 44 

Battle  of  organized  knowledge 90 

Be  alert 211 

Courteous 214 

Natural  and  agreeable ...._ HI 

Positive 213 

Serious _ ...  162 

Tactful 212 

Willing  to  show  goods _ 199 

Beginning  of  mechanical  inventions 80 

Believe  in  your  goods 136 

Best  salesman  a  constant  student.... 94 

Business  education,  Growth  of 78 

For  profit... 137 

Letter  writing,  Advertising  and 91 

Psychology  and  logic. 332 

Will  be  revolutionized 81 

Buying  a  tie  for  "Dad" 221  to  223 

C 

Causes  of  failure 212 

Chamber  of  Commerce  invCvStigation... 294 

Changing  desire  into  resolve 157 

Character  in  hand-shaking 69 

The  cornerstone 9 1 

What  the  eye  tells  about 65 

Check  yourself 341 

Chief  cause  of  failures 306 

Chloroforming  the  mind 184 

Choice  suggestion 177 

Clear  thinking  underlies  winning  argument 168 

Clinching  resolve 163 

Close 240,241,363 

Knowing  when  to 161 

Closing  Suggestive 162 

The  order 158 

The  sale ' 174,  195,  329,  351 

Committing  selling  talk  to  memory 1 06 

Competition,  How  to  meet 166 

Confidence,  Truth  basis  of... 129 

Value  of 138 

Constant  student,  Best  salesman  a 94 

Consumer,  Selling  direct  to 19 

Conviction 239 

And  desire  contrasted 130 

Defined 125 

In  selling  insurance 138 

Must  precede  desire 130 

368 


Conviction  precedes  desire -.  137 

Vitally  important - 130 

Cornerstone,  Character  the ..— 91 

Costly  lessons  in  salesmanship 169 

Cost  of  faulty  salesmanship _ 41 

Costs,  one  way  to  cut 14 

Courtesy.... ..- 248 

Creating  desire 145,  240,  303 

Cultivate  your  five  senses 63 

Curiosity,  How  to  hold 122 

Customer,  Get  acquainted  with.. _.... .-.- -.... 200 

Customers  in  three  classes 216 

D 

Danger  of  being  too  easy 160 

Deductive  logic 133 

Definite  object.  Importance  of... _ -. 106 

Definition  of  instinct .- 49 

Of  salesmanship 88,  90 

Definitions  of  emotions 59 

Demonstrate  your  goods 194 

Demonstration..... 347,  348 

Demonstrations ._ 292 

Department  store  problems. 289 

Desire  defined 145 

Conviction  precedes 137 

Motives  stimulate ..-. 149 

Persuasion  intensifies 153 

Develop  a  pleasing  voice..._ 66 

Pleasing  personality - -- -  210 

Development,  Engineering 80 

Direct  and  indirect  suggestion..... 177,  178 

Disloyalty  a  form  of  dishonesty.- 248 

Displaying  merchandise 309 

Distinction  between  science  and  art  of  salesmanship 85 

Distribution  of  raw  materials 7 

Problem  of - -  5 

System — —  3,  4 

Do  it  now.-.. --- 158,  165 

Do  not  argue ._ 2 10 

Don't  be  careless 246 

Dominant  emotion  of  every  man 113 

Double,  entry.  Primer  on 28 

Doubling  life  efficiency .—  330 

E 

Ear,  Sound  appeal  to  the 67 

Easier  to  make  than  to  sell 102 

Economics  and  human  nacure.. 1 

Economic  waste 8 

369 


Educational  problem __ „.  77 

Effectiveness  of  suggestion..... _ 174 

Effect  of  judgment  on  success 127 

Efficiency,  Mechanical 82 

Eliminating  middlemen  through  advertising 15 

Emotional  appeals  excite  action 60 

Emotions,  definitions  of 59 

No  limit  to  number  of 59 

Employees  should  co-operate 201 

Engineering  development. 80 

Enthusiasm,  Knowledge  begets 92 

Everybody  has  something  to  sell 295 

Every  person  has  something  to  sell 38 

Salesman  should  study  psychology. .....^ 37 

Evidence  and  how  to  use  it . ^ 139 

Applied 140,  141 

Illustrated 140 

Logical 137 

Must  be  organized 126 

Example  of  Lincoln 136 

Experience,  Illustrations  from 293 

^  Instinctive  action  modified  by.. 52 

Expert  adviser,  Salesman  an 92 

Explanation  the  proof 135 

Eye,  Appeal  to  the 64 

Please  the 66 

Eyes,  Study  your  customer's 64 


F 

Facts,  Startling.. 23 

Failure,  Causes  of 212 

The  guesser  courts 1 

Failures,  Chief  cause  of 306 

Faulty  retail  salesmanship 44 

Fear  as  a  motive... 46 

Features,  Harmony  of 72 

Few  thinkers 77 

First  principles  in  selling 99 

Five  senses.  Cultivate  your 63 

Importance  of  the 63 

For  the  store  manager 287,  288 

Frequency 176 

Fundamental  factors  in  salesmanship 1 

Law  of  human  nature 41 

Principles 78 

Principles,  importance  of 79 

Principles  of  suggestion 179 

Future,  Plans  for  the._ 24 

370 


G 

Gaining  an  interview 345 

Confidence 350 

Get  acquainted  with  customer .._ 200 

\yith  yourself 203 

Get  customer's  viewpoint- 313 

On  the  customer's  side  of  the  fence 1 14 

Getting  ahead _.. 251,  252 

In  to  see  a  prospect , 116 

Graphic  charts --- 3 

Grit 181 

Grocery  stores,  Study  of  1000 26,  27 

Growth  of  business  education 78 


II 

Hand  shakes 70,  7 1 

Hand  shaking,  Character  in 69 

Harmony  of  features 72 

He  profits  most  who  serves  best 88 

Hints,  Important _ 167 

Honesty-.._ ..,._. 247 

Inspires  confidence . 3 14 

Hold  customer's  good  will .  205 

How  instinct  reacts... ._ -■,..- 49 

To  approach 267  to  270 

To  become  a  better  salesman.... 257 

To  convince 137 

To  develop  yourself 188 

To  hold  curiosity 122 

To  meet  competition 166 

To  overcome  bad  habits _    .-  255 

Human  nature.. 5 

Basic  law  of , _. 9 

Economics  and 1 

Fundamental  law  of.... 41 

Result  of  violation  of  basic  law  of 43 


I 

Ideas,  Ten  ways  to  convey 104,  105 

Illustration,  A  striking 150,  151 

Of  appeals  to  senses..... 72 

Illustrations  from  experience 293 

Of  motives 146  to  149 

Of  suggestion 183,  184 

Value  of.. 135 

Imagination ___ .' 266 

Importance  of  auto-suggestion — .     187 

Of  color 3 1 1 

Of  definite  object 106 

371 


Importance  cf  fundamental  principles 79 

Of  indirect  suggestion 179 

Of  last  impression 176 

Of  mental  law  of  sale 107 

Of  retail  clerk 300 

Of  sense  of  smell  to  the  salesman 68 

Of  suggestion 173 

Of  the  five  senses. 63 

Of  training.... 289 

Important  factors  of  suggestion 174 

Hints 167 

Improved  methods,  Need  of 6 

Impulse  to  act 60 

Impulses,  Three  fundamental... 50 

Inadequate  sales  strategy 39 

Indirect  salesmanship 180 

Suggestion,  Importance  of 179 

Inspire  confidence 192 

Instinct,  Definition  of 49 

How  it  reacts 49 

Of  self-preservation 45 

Instinctive  action  modified  by  experience 52 

Instincts,  Prominent  human 54 

What  the  salesman  should  know  about 51 

Instructions  to  new  salespeople 271  to  278 

Interest 238 

And  desire  not  identical 153 

Arousing 119 

In  customer 309 

Interests,  Man's  changing.... 52,  53 

Introduction 238 

J 

Judgment  based  on  comparison 128 

Defined 127 

K 

Keen  positive  suggestion 1 S5 

Keeping  appointments *  1 16 

Wide  awake 245 

Keep  store  clean 201 

Knowing  when  to  close 161 

Knowledge  begets  enthusiasm 92 

Of  laws  of  mind S3 

Of  principles  makes  results  certain 107 

Organized '. 81 

L 

Language 67 

372 


Last  impression,  Importance  of 176 

Laws  of  mind,  Knowledge  of.. —       83 

Of  suggestions.... —     173  to  188 

Lax  methods,  The  price  of 25 

Leadership,  Little  preparation  for .-. 78 

Learn  customer's  financial  standing — 193 

Other  departments... 193 

To  co-operate -     214 

Learning  the  wrong  way 325,  326 

Letter  writing,  Advertising  and  Business 91 

Life  insurance  selling  talk 364  to  366 

Little  business  education 77 

Preparation  for  leadership 78 

Logical  evidence 137 

Logic  precedes  appeal 142 

Love  your  merchandise 218,  219 


M 

Make  friends 193 

Two  sales  instead  of  one 196 

Use  of  every  minute.. - 96 

Making  a  paint  sale — 357  to  360 

Man  a  creature  of  suggestion. — — -. .-  187 

Management  problems 287  to  292 

Manipulation,  Mental 46 

Mannerisms,  Personal 70 

Man's  changing  interests... 52,  53 

Manufacturer  sells  direct  to  retailers 17 

Sells  direct  to  consumer 19 

Sells  through  own  stores 19 

Manufacturer's  chain-shoe-store,  Originator  of 19 

Marketing,  Simplest  form  of 17 

Mastery  of  self.. — 192 

Mechanical  efficiency.— 82 

Inventions,  Beginning  of .-. 80 

Mental  action,  Two  methods  of  producing..... 126 

Attitude .- 110 

Law  of  sale.  Importance  of.__ 107 

Law  of  sale  has  wide  application 106 

Law  of  sale.  Problem  of--- 102 

Manipulation 46 

Methods  of  the  retailer 14 

Middlemen,  Necessity  of 15 

Mind  and  heart  in  selling 263 

Model  sales  demonstrations 344,  366 

Selling  talk...... - 291 

Modern  tendency --  17 

Money  and  experience 343 

Most  vital  work,  A  salesman's 63 

Motive,  Fear  as  a 46 

373 


Motives  classified 146 

Illustrations  of 146  to  149 

Salesman  must  know 150 

Stimulate  desire. 149 

That  move  buyers 312 

Mutual  profit  idea 87 

N 

Necessity  for  preparation 134 

Of  middleman 15 

Need  cf  accurate  accounting 25 

Of  improved  methods 6 

New  methods  opposed 327 

Nerve.  ._. ...-. 191 

Negative  salesmanship ...     263,  26 1,  308 

Suggestion  loses  sales .  185 

No  limit  to  number  of  emotions ." 59 


Observe  the  affirmatives. 162 

One  way  to  cut  costs... -  14 

Operating  machine  aids  interest 152 

Opposed  to  club  plan --  355 

Optimistic 192 

Orders  lost  by  failure  to  convince .  138 

Organized  knowledge. - -  81 

Knowledge,  Battle  of.. 90 

Originator  of  manufacturer's  chain-shoe-store 19 

Origin  of  N.  C.  R.  salesmanship 322  to  324 

Of  salesmanship  instruction .     320,321 

Out  of  the  common  class 224 

Outline  of  model  canvass  .^ - 344 

Ownership,  Appeal  to  spirit  of ,  151 

P 

Personal  interest  in  customer 262 

Mannerisms , 70 

Persuasion  intensifies  desire 153 

Phone  salesmanship 208 

Plans  for  the  future 24 

Please  the  eye 65 

Pleasing  voice - 66,  181 

Plenty  cf  sleep  necessary 245 

Political  salesmanship 39 

Politics  based  upon  psychology 45 

Poor  judgment  illustrated 129 

Salesmanship — 300 

Positive  and  negative  suggestion 181 

The  strong 163 

374 


Power  of  suggestion — 173 

Preparation,  Necessity  for.... .._ 134  _ 

Primer  on  double  entry --  28 

Principles,  Fundamental  -- --  78 

Must  be  mastered 107 

Problem,  Educational -  - ---  77 

Of  distribution - 5 

Of  mental  law  of  sale .- 102 

Problems,  Department  store.. - 289 

Management -----     287  to  292 

Producer  to  the  consumer........ .*- 2 

Producing  conviction --       125 

Profit,  Short  cut  in  figuring 30  to  33 

Profits,  Salesman  asked  to  figure - 30  to  33 

Prominent  human  instincts.... 54 

Promptness  and  neatness - 198 

Proprietor  investigates  methods 299 

Prospect  doesn't  see  need 352 

Prospect,  The  busy - 115 

Would  examine  other  makes 353 

Psychology,  Applied 55 

Politics  based  upon — —  45 

Salesmen  should  study -- 37 

Put  prospect's  advantage  first 47 

0 

Qualification  of  candidates,  Similar -. 39 

Qualities  that  win .- 96 

R 

Raw  materials.  Distribution  of 7 

Reactive  effect  of  suggestion. --- - -.  187 

Reading  the  ads -- 217 

Your  customer _ 309 

Reason  defined ..-. 131 

Reasoning  power  analyzed 131 

Two  kinds  of 132,  133 

Reasons  why  Holden  won .- 165 

Remarks,  Salesman's  opening... .— 109 

Remember  this  principle .- 45 

Reserve  selling  talk 103 

Resolve,  Clinching ..  163 

To  buy 240 

To  succeed - 332,  333 

Result  of  violation  of  basic  law  of  human  nature .- 43 

Result  of  25  years'  experience  and  teaching -..  103 

Of  8,000  experiments 175 

Retail  clerk.  Importance  of... - - 300 

Salesmanship -- — 260 

Selling  hints 198  to  202 

375 


Retailer,  Methods  of  the 14 

Selling  direct  to _ 17 

Rules  regarding  use  of  sales-books 285,  286 

S 

Sale,  Closing  the.— 174 

Is  made  in  the  mind 103 

Seven  mental  processes  of ...._ 99,  100 

Sales-books,  Rules  regarding  use  of. 285,  286 

Strategy,  Inadequate 39 

Salesman  an  expert  adviser ...       92 

A  real 95,  96 

Asked  to  figure  profits 30  to  33 

How  to  become  a  better 257 

Must  know  motives : 150 

The  untrained 38 

Vital  lesson  for  the... 74 

Salesman's  opening  remarks 109 

Salesmanship  analyzed 86 

Basic  principle  in 41,  42 

Costly  lessons  in 169 

Cost  of  faulty 41 

Covers  vast  field 91 

Definition  of 88,  90 

Determines  success 85 

Faulty  retail .' 44 

Fundamental  factors  in 1 

Leads  to  success .-...       95 

Indirect .-_._ _ 180 

Negative 263,  264,  308 

Origin  of  N.  C.  R 322  to  324 

Phone 208 

Political _ 39 

Poor 300 

Salesmanship,  Retail 260 

Scientific 38 

Specialty 319,  366 

Subscription  book 320,  321 

Ten  commandments  of 258 

Touches  all  fields 93 

Salesmen  are  civilization  builders 93 

Should  know  accounting 29 

Should  study  psychology 37 

Talks  to  retail 243,  259 

Trained  specialty 20 

With  vision 265 

Satisfy  customer..... 200 

Scientific  arguments  get  business 134 

Salesmanship 38 

Secret  of  success 44,  89 

Securing  an  audience  after  appointment 346 

376 


Self-interest -   47 

Approach - -— - 112 

Self-preservation,  Instinct  of- - — - 45 

Sell  good  goods 207 

Service  with  your  goods... _.. 159 

Selling  a  dress .,     308 

A  hat - -  - 307 

A  lady's  suit 226  to  237 

Direct  to  consumer - 19 

Direct  to  retailer..— 17 

First  principles  in. 99 

Goods... -- - - 250 

Mind  and  heart  in 263 

Strategy 291 

Talk  in  kitchen  ranges 238  to  241 

Talk,  Life  insurance 344  to  366 

Talk,  Reserve 103 

Talk,  Specialty.. 360  to  363 

The  "Shopper" 220 

Through  the  senses.... 72 

Sense  of  smell 68 

Of  taste 68 

Of  touch 68 

Senses,  Appeal  through  as  many  as  possible 73 

Illustration  of  appeals  to 72 

Selling  through  the 72 

Teaching  through  the 73 

The  five 63 

Serve  the  buyer's  interest 266 

Service 334,  350 

Creates  satisfaction     204 

Seven  mental  processes  of  sale 99,  100 

Shaking  hands 115 

She  thinks  she  knows... _ 2 18 

"Shipper,"  Selling  the..... 220 

Short  cut  in  figuring  profit. 30  to  33 

Show  your  goods.. .__ 310 

Shrewd  use  of  suggestion 182 

Similar  qualifications  of  candidates 39 

Simplest  form  of  marketing . 17 

Smell,  sense  of.. 68 

Smile 194 

Something  to  sell.  Every  person  has 38 

Some  valuable  don'ts 206,  207 

Soul,  The  window  of  the..... 64 

Sound  appeal  to  the  ear 67 

Specialty  salesmanship 319  to  366 

Selling  talk 360  to  363 

Strategy,  Selling 291 

Startling  facts..... 23 

Stock  records  and  display 201 

Store  meetings 302 

377 


Store  rules  and  instructions 278  to  286 

Study  and  practice  will  bring  success.... 96 

Buying  notices 194 

Firm's  advertising 192 

Firm's  windows 193 

Human  nature 313 

Of  1000  grocery  stores.... 26,  27 

Shipping  department 193 

To  improve  your  English  ...i 94 

Your  customer 195 

Your  customer's  eyes 64 

Your  goods 3 14  to  3 16 

Your  job 204 

Subscription  book  salesmanship 320,  321 

Success,  Effect  of  judgment  on.... .: 127 

Salesmanship  determines '. 84 

Salesmanship  leads  to 95 

Secret  of 44,  76 

Study  and  practice  will  bring ' 96 

The  salesman's 105 

Suggestion,  Choice '. 177 

Defined .._ 173 

Direct  and  indirect 177,  178 

Effectiveness  of. 174 

Fundamental  principles  of 179 

Illustration  of 183,  184 

Importance  of 173 

Important  factors  of... 174 

Keen  positive 185 

Laws  of- - .- 173  to  188 

Man  a  creature  of..... 187 

Negative  loses  sales 185 

Positive  and  negative 181 

Power  of _— -     173 

Shrewd  use  of 182 

Value  of,  to  salesman 181 

Weak  negative 186 

Suggestions,  Avoid  all  negative 186 

Suggestive  closing .     162 

Summary  of  efficient  and  inefficient  selling  methods 316,  317 

System,  Disti'ibutlng 3,  4 


Tact. 191 

Talking  too  nmch 161 

Talks  to  retail  salesmen .     2  I  Wo  259 

Taste,  Sense  of —  68 

Teaching  through  the  senses   73 

Ten  commandments  of  salesmanship .-.     258 

Ways  to  convey  ideas.. 104,  105 

The  approach 109,  117 


The  busy  prospect     -  115 

Buyer's  interest - — -  87 

Contrast  illustrated -     336  to  33S 

Customer  is  boss 207 

Ear  appeal. .._ 66,  67 

Family  interests 122 

Five  senses -- 63 

Guesser  courts  failure.:...: 1 

Hidden  objection -—     339,  340 

Inane  phrases -...• 225 

Man  who  guesses 23 

Man  who  knows -  24 

N.  C.  R.  approach... 113 

Paycheck --  290 

Pre-approach 344 

Price  of  lax  methods 25 

Retail  merchant 3 

Saleslady's  dress. .._ 198 

Salesman's  success . 105 

Strong  positive 163 

Tested  graduate... 331 

Untrained  salesman 38 

Window  of  the  soul 64 

Thinking  for  a  customer 184 

Three  fundamental  impulses _ 50 

To  help  you  succeed ....- 1 

Touch,  Sense  of .-- 68 

Trained  specialty  salesmen 20 

Training,  Importance  of 289 

The  clerk., 301 

Traveling  salesman  is  educator 94 

Truth  basis  of  confidence 129 

Try  to  find  out  customer's  name..... 345 

Turning  a  refusal  into  an  advantage 1 16 

Two  kinds  of  reasoning 132,  133 

Methods  of  producing  mental  action 126 

Types  of  retail  store  customers 216  to  225 


U 

Understand  human  nature 


V 

Value  of  a  smile 256 

Of  confidence 138 

Of  contrast _ 335  to  338 

Of  illustration.. .._ 135 

Of  school  system. 338 

Of  selling  experience 329 

Of  selling  talk 327  to  329 

379 


Value    suggestion   to   salesman 181 

Of  "Thank  you" 203 

Vital  lesson  for  the  salesman 74 

Voice,  Develop  a  pleasing._ 66 

W 

Waste 245 

Economic 8 

Watch  details.. 342 

Your  stock 206 

Weak  negative  suggestion 186 

What  chance  have  you  to  win? 37 

Is  salesmanship? _..._ 86 

Not  to  do 196,  197 

The  eye  tells  about  character 65 

The  salesman  should  know  about  instincts 51 

When  you  phone,  smile 249 

New  products  come  in _ 304 

Which  man  will  win?..... 24 

Why  women  buy ,  294 

Winning  argument.  Clear  thinking  underlies 168 

Y 

Your  employer 243 

First  statement .-  1 14 

Health  and  habits 244 

Yourself i 243 

You  should  worry 215 

$25,000  a  minute 164 


380 


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